NBA Rumors: Darvin Ham will have more liberty than Frank Vogel to bench LA Lakers' 9x All-Star next season

LA Lakers superstar Russell Westbrook continues to be in the spotlight with regards to trade rumors this offseason. However, given Westbrook's mammoth salary of over $47 million, the Lakers have not been able to make a deal without giving up their draft picks as well.

This has led to the possibility of Westbrook remaining with the franchise for the upcoming season. According to Jovan Buha of The Athletic, new head coach Darvin Ham has been given the backing to bench Westbrook. He said Russ could even be excluded from games altogether.

"Lakers head coach Darvin Ham will have more power to bench Westbrook down the stretch of games, according to league sources. (Former head coach Frank Vogel did so a few times last season). That could eventually extend to removing Westbrook from the starting lineup as well," Buha wrote.

Russell Westbrook finished the season averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game this season. He shot 44.4% from the field and a paltry 29.8% from beyond the arc.

The former league MVP is coming off a horrendous season that saw his value plummet. He is a poor shooter from mid-range and the perimeter while also being a defensive liability. The Lakers will need to bench him in crunch time if they are to win games.

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Is this the best way forward for the LA Lakers?

The bench from the LA Lakers-Denver Nuggets game

The LA Lakers came into the 2021-22 NBA season with championship aspirations. The big three of Westbrook, Anthony Davis and LeBron James were supposed to propel the Lakers to make an appearance in the NBA Finals at the very least. However, things went sideways rather quickly as they did not even make the Play-In tournament.

One of the biggest impediments that Westbrook posed to the LA Lakers was the turnovers that he created. The sheer pace at which he played was not sustainable for the oldest roster in the league.

Averaging nearly four turnovers on a nightly basis was a massive problem when Westbrook was brought into take the load of LeBron James but ended up compounding it.

The notion of the former Oklahoma City Thunder superstar coming off the bench isn't unfounded as he has struggled to impact the game with James on the floor. That just might be the only way forward if the Lakers don't get enough compensation in return for unloading him this summer.

Coming off the bench would mean he would be the orchestrator for the second unit. Westbrook could punish an opponent's secondary point guard with his pace and explosiveness. The second unit of the akers can surround Westbrook with shooters, which will create a pathway to the rim for him to attack with ferocity.

This would also allow King James to be the ball handler for starters and thereby surround himself with shooters, alleviating Westbrook's lack of shooting, especially down the stretch. While it is going to take a lot to convince Westbrook to come off the bench, it might be the only way forward for the LA Lakers.