As Los Angeles Lakers fans -- and Russell Westbrook himself -- await a possible Russell Westbrook deal, the betting world is weighing in on where L.A.'s most recent starting point guard could kick off the 2022-23 NBA season.
With Lakers training camp set to open on September 27th, and most teams apparently satisfied with their lineups for now, it insanely seems possible that Westbrook may begin the season in L.A. after all.
Last summer, the Lakers surrendered way too many current and future assets in exchange for a washed-up vet who couldn't fit alongside team stars Anthony Davis and LeBron James. And this summer, they have somehow failed to trade that vet, apparently too proud to surrender both the future first-round picks it may take to offload him in a deal.
That could change. Per Bally Sports' Brandon "Scoop B" Robinson, gambling site Bovada also thinks the chances of Westbrook opening the year as a Laker remain robuts. Bovada has unveiled its odds tallying potential destinations for the 6'3" guard out of UCLA. The Lakers are heavy favorites at -200, followed by the Utah Jazz at +250 (a team loaded with veteran assets who has exhibited a willingness to trade with the Lakers once already this offseason). The New York Knicks, who continue to accrue draft picks, and Indiana Pacers, who should be looking to accrue as many draft picks as they can, are both given +650 odds of landing Russ. The Brooklyn Nets (+750) and Charlotte Hornets (+1400) round out the list.
It's a bit of a surprise that the San Antonio Spurs don't make the cut, as that club seems to sport an abundance of Lakers-friendly veteran resources, topped by defensive-oriented center Jakob Poeltl, and offloaded All-Star guard Dejounte Murray and second-year center Jock Londale to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for three first-round draft picks, pick-swap rights, and the contract of forward Danillo Gallinari, whom they promptly waived. Point being: San Antonio is in full-on tank mode, and it seems like the team would be happy to add more draft equity if the Westbrook contract is the price of doing business.
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