Lakers News: Legendary Franchise Pursuing Russell Westbrook Should He Get Bought Out
Russell Westbrook's next stop following his departure from the Lakers is one of the hottest topics around the league. Despite many not sure if the former MVP can still be a positive contributor on a contender, multiple teams have showed interest in adding him to their roster following a potential buyout.
One of the teams sticking out amongst the rest right now is the Chicago Bulls. ESPN'S Adrian Wojnarowski went live on NBA Today to discuss the likelihood of Westbrook's future there.
"If he gets out into the buyout market, there is significant interest in Westbrook," said Wojnarowski. "I think one team that you've got to watch and I think will be a front-runner is the Chicago Bulls. You can see how he fits, bringing some energy and some fire to that team's bench".
One season ago, the Bulls were one of the most fun teams to watch. They were playing at an extremely fast pace, DeMar Derozan was looking like an MVP candidate, and Chicago even had the number one seed throughout much of the first half of the season. However, injuries derailed that team's success, and adding someone like Westbrook could bring back that spark, though he could adversely impact floor spacing.
Through all of the negativity surrounding Westbrook's time with the Lakers, he still found a role he began to succeed in and became the favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year. He could potentially continue this role with Chicago or even find his way back into a starting lineup.
Bulls head coach Billy Donovan used to coach the 34-year-old when he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder and the two made it to the playoffs every season together.
Chicago is currently in the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference. If they finished there, they would partake in the East play-in tournament come April. They also currently have a point guard spot that is up for grabs due to ex-Laker Lonzo Ball having yet to suit up this season with a lingering knee injury.
A new environment outside of Los Angeles may just be what Westbrook needs to succeed.
