Russell Westbrook never demanded that the Wizards trade him.
GM Tommy Sheppard told local media, including FortyEightMinutes, that the former All-Star preferred the Lakers if there was ever an opportunity to go to Los Angeles. That opportunity arrived this summer and it was the perfect time to make a move.
“I really have to make sure the record is straight on that,” Sheppard reiterated in a recent interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller.
“Russell actually never asked to move on. 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.’ I said, ‘What about the Clippers?’ He said, ‘Hell no.’ So Russell was happy being here and we were very grateful for him being here.”
Westbrook was linked to the Clippers back in 2019 while he was still a member of the Thunder. Rumor has it that he had approached Kawhi Leonard about teaming up on the team, though Leonard ultimately angled Clippers management to make the Paul George trade.
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