Why did Russell Westbrook split from agent?
Los Angeles Lakers All-Star guard Russell Westbrook has finished the relationship with his agent due to “irreconcilable differences”.
Russell Westbrook and his longtime agent, Thad Boucher, have officially split amid tensions over the guard’s future in the NBA, as explained in a lengthy statement penned by Boucher released yesterday. It was through ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the agent described “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for the end of his partnership with the Lakers’ player.
Statement from agent Boucher
Boucher, of Wasserman Media Group, decided to thoroughly explain Westbrook’s situation in the league and how his assessment of it differs from the former MVP’s, due to which they will now go their separate ways. “I represented Russell Westbrook for 14 years and am proud of our partnership which included a highly successful 2008 draft, a super-max contract and the only renegotiation-and-extend max contract in history. I also supported Russell throughout his rise into a prominent fashion industry figure and recently orchestrated three successive trades on Russell’s behalf -- culminating with the trade to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers.”
After summarizing Westbrook’s career alongside him, Boucher got into detail about this offseason and the 33-year-old’s interest in being traded again: “Each time, teams gave up valuable players and assets to acquire Russell - and each time, a new organization embraced his arrival. We did it together with grace and class. Now, with a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario. And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout.”
“My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell’s value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered. Russell is a first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player and will prove that again before he is retired.” Boucher simply followed by ascertaining that his thoughts do not align with those of his former client, which made it impossible to continue to work together: “Unfortunately, irreconcilable differences exist as to his best pathway forward and we are no longer working together. I wish Russell and his family the very best.”
What next for Russell Westbrook
Westbrook opted into his $47.1 million player option last month, and did so happily as he showed in his Twitter account.
The Los Angeles Lakers have been in conversation with Brooklyn Nets’ general manager Sean Marks about a trade for Kyrie Irving over the past couple of weeks. Such a move would most surely affect Russell Westbrook, whose salary would have to be taken off the books for the Lakers to make LeBron James’ wish true and reunite him with his Cavs teammate, either by Westbrook going straight to Brooklyn or with a third team involved in the trade. After Boucher’s disinterest in taking part in another trade with Westbrook in it, the former MVP will probably find an agent more amenable to that proposition and seek a new team away from LeBron James.