Lakers News: Russell Westbrook Betting Favorite to Win Major Award

The 2017 MVP could be in line for some more end-of-season hardware.

$47.1 million Los Angeles Lakers reserve point guard Russell Westbrook has adjusted spectacularly to his new role with the team this season. After it became clear very early this season that he just was never going to mesh well enough alongside LA All-Star and lead playmaker LeBron James in major minutes, first-year Lakers head coach Darvin Ham made the decision to shift Westbrook to a backup role. 

Westbrook has looked completely reinvigorated away from James (their minutes are far more staggered now), and is averaging a very solid 14.6 points, 7.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds and one steal a night in 28.1 minutes per.

It appears the rest of the league has taken notice.

Per BetOnline, Westbrook has emerged as the current odds-on favorite to win Sixth Man of the Year honors at the end of the 2022-23 NBA season. It will be an uphill battle if the 16-21 Lakers can't at least achieve a top-10 seed in the Western Conference heading down the home stretch of the year.

That said, currently Jordan Poole, reserve shooting guard for the ninth-seeded Golden State Warriors, is listed as having the second-best odds to capture that end-of-season hardware, and his team is just two games above .500 (20-18). 

Rounding out the top five are Boston Celtics backup combo guard Malcolm Brogdon, probably the preseason favorite to win, Los Angeles Clippers swingman Norman Powell, and high-scoring Indiana Pacers rookie shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin. A 2021-22 Laker, Sacramento Kings shooting guard Malik Monk, has the seventh-best odds to win this season, according to this new BetOnline ranking.