The biggest — and most obvious — obstacle the Lakers are going to have clear in the upcoming offseason will be figuring out what the future holds for Russell Westbrook. While the preference seems to be, considering how disastrous this season went, for him to not play in Los Angeles again, shedding a contract north of $47 million next year will be no easy task, to say the very least.
But it’s not quite as impossible a scenario as it may seem. While the Lakers have cornered themselves when it comes to moving Westbrook, it’s still a corner with some options to get out of, even if it’s going to require some flexibility and pain to do so.