NBA rumors: Russell Westbrook hoping for a ring if Lakers win the title

The Lakers took off after trading Russell Westbrook at the NBA Trade Deadline. Now Westbrook is saying he wants a ring if they win it all.

Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook are watching from home while their former teammates with the Los Angeles Lakers look to turn a late-season surge into a surprising championship run. Both Beverley and Westbrook were traded at the deadline for players who have become key pieces for this Lakers run. They also didn’t even last with the teams who traded for them, both getting bought out and signing with teams who didn’t make the playoffs (Beverley) or were eliminated in the first round (Westbrook).

But they both appear to be still rooting for the Lakers and hoping for some tangible recognition for their contributions to the team before they were traded.

In a recent episode of his podcast, Patrick Beverley said he ran into Westbrook at the gym and Westbrook said, “Hey Pat, Lakers win I want my ring.” Beverley went on to add that he wanted one as well.

There are no rules about championship rings going to players who were traded mid-season, the team makes the final decision. There is at least some precedent — Anderson Varejao was offered a ring by the 2015-16 Cavaliers even though he had ended being bought out and signing with the Warriors, the team Cleveland beat in those Finals. The Lakers also offered Avery Bradley a championship ring when they won the title in 2020, even though he opted out of the bubble because of health concerns related to his son.

What did Patrick Beverley and Russell Westbrook do to earn rings for the Lakers?

Westbrook was sent out in a three-team trade that brought D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt back to the Lakers. He eventually agreed on a buyout with the Jazz, joined the Clippers and played reasonably well in their first-round loss to the Suns.

Beverley was part of a four-team on the same day that brought Mo Bamba back to the Lakers. He was bought out by the Magic and finished the season with the Chicago Bulls.

Before the trade, Westbrook did his best to adapt to a bench role, appearing in 52 games, averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game, but shooting just 41.7 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from beyond the arc. Even though he was traded in February, he still finished sixth on the team in total minutes played across the entire season. However, the Lakers were 25-31 and in 13th place in the Western Conference when he was traded, and had been outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

Beverley started 45 games for the Lakers before the trade, averaging 5.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game but shooting just 39.5 percent from the field and 30.9 percent from beyond the arc. Like Westbrook, he was an integral part of their early-season rotation and still finished the year eighth in total minutes played for the team. But, again, the Lakers struggled with him on the court — outscored by 3.6 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court.

After the trades, the Lakers went 18-8 across the rest of the regular season, outscoring opponents by 4.8 points per 100 possessions. Given all that, it’s hard to see Westbrook and Beverley’s contributions to the Lakers’ current playoff run as anything but addition by subtraction.

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