Almost two months later, we’re still learning new information about the blockbuster trade that landed superstar Russell Westbrook on the Los Angeles Lakers. The most recent one is that Westbrook never made an official trade request to the Washington Wizards.
Wizards general manager Tommy Sheppard had a chat with Chris Miller of NBC Sports Washington and said that Westbrook kept a “professional” attitude prior to leaving for Los Angeles. According to Sheppard, the 2017 NBA MVP only expressed interest in being traded if that meant he’d join the Lakers.
“Russell actually never asked to move on,” Sheppard told Miller. “He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. If not, I’ll be back here.'”
Sheppard also revealed that he proposed the Los Angeles Clippers as a potential destination, but Westbrook wasn’t open to that idea.
“So Russell was happy being here, and we were very grateful for him being here,” he added.
Westbrook ended up getting his wish and will now play in front of his hometown crowd alongside fellow superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. The Wizards, on the other hand, received a strong package in return that includes Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and Kyle Kuzma, which will allow them to build around their All-Star Bradley Beal.
Westbrook spent one season with the Wizards and averaged 22.2 points per game alongside a career-high 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists. Washington made it to the playoffs through a play-in tournament before being eliminated in the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers.
