What did Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis discuss?
With Westbrook’s future still up in the air, it would appear that the Lakers stars are still preparing for the possibility that he stays with the team.
After a disastrous 2021-22 campaign, the Lakers are well and truly in the middle of a soul-searching process, but it remains unclear as to how they will emerge.
Lakers’ Westbrook, James and Davis hold conference
With Russell Westbrook’s future still far from certain, it would appear that some of the Lakers’ core players have decided to plan for the possibility that the under-fire point guard may well be with them when the next season starts. Reports have indicated, that LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Westbrook recently had a phone conversation where the big three “expressed their commitment to one another” with a mind to making things work next season.
Before jumping to any conclusions, it should be said that the call is in no way an indication that Westbrook will be staying, but rather a means to ensuring that all three players still share the same goals as long as they are on the same team. Of course, if you’ve been following the Westbrook situation in LA, you can probably guess that the call was likely the result of the franchise’s PR department suggesting it. In recent weeks, reports have suggested that Westbrook’s relationship with James was ‘frosty.’ This of course, wasn’t helped by the fact that the pair had no interaction when they attended the Laker’s Summer League games, although they sat opposite each other.
How do the Lakers fix things?
As mentioned before, the Lakers came to a more than disappointing end this last season. Westbrook was brought in for quite an expensive package - Draft picks included - there were injuries to both James and Davis and when it was all over, the franchise actually fired head coach Frank Vogel, although it had been just two years since he oversaw a championship. It was not a good moment for the team or its fans.
After a merry-go-round of coaching interviews, the Lakers finally ended their hunt with Darvin Ham, who brought with him an air of positivity, as he seemingly embraced the idea of solving the Westbrook puzzle. Yet, as things stand the former league MVP is still the center of a much talked about trade deal for Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets. Indeed, it’s the most talked about situation of the summer, however, given that it would likely suit the Lakers way more than it would the Nets, it’s all still just talk. Add to that the Nets reluctance to take on Westbrook’s $47 million contract which expires next season and you’ve got a situation that’s not clear cut at all.
Russell Westbrook and his agent have made things more complicated
One thing that adds more difficulty to the whole scenario is the fact that Westbrook recently parted ways with longtime agent Thad Foucher over irreconcilable differences. Foucher had been Westbrook’s agent since he entered the league, and in a statement said that he believes a trade from the Lakers -- which may require L.A. to attach more assets to entice teams to take him -- “only serves to diminish Russell’s value.” Given that there are no sure avenues to completion of a deal for the Lakers, logic would suggest that it’s highly likely that Westbrook will be playing in yellow and purple next season. Should that prove to be the case, then one can only hope that calls like the one that the trio had, help to create greater synergy between the Lakers’ stars as they head into the 2022-23 season.