Landon Buford
The Los Angeles Lakers have been trying to part ways with former league MVP Russell Westbrook since last season’s trade deadline. The Lakers brought him to give the franchise energy when LeBron James and Anthony Davis were out with injuries, rest during quarters, or load managing.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, that did not pan out; they missed the playoffs and the play entirely.
The team reportedly rejected a Houston Rockets offer that would have landed John Wall for Westbrook plus draft compensation, something that rattled the feathers of James and his camp.
Now, the future Hall of Famer is pushing L.A. to do whatever it takes to land Kyrie Irving, his former Cleveland Cavaliers teammate.
Per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, James still wants the team to trade Westbrook.
“On ESPN’s The Lowe Post podcast, NBA insider Dave McMenamin discussed the current situation in Los Angeles.
“It’s pretty darn clear that LeBron has seen enough, and he has no interest going into another year with Russ as his teammate.”
It was also recently reported that Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis hopped on a call patch things up and recommit to winning a championship.
“The Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled up on a phone conversation the first weekend of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with each expressing their commitment to one another and vowing to make it work, league sources told Yahoo Sports,” wrote Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports.
“While the uncertainty of Westbrook’s future with the Lakers remains, the conversation was organized to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they’re joined together in their pursuit of a championship, sources said.”
However, if the Lakers can trade Westbrook for Kyrie Irving, they can win a championship. According to Cuffs The Legend, who is a known associate of LeBron James, adding Irving brings in another reliable shooter, which the Lakers are desperate to add.
The Lakers reportedly offered trade scenarios Indiana Pacers for Buddy Hield and the Houston Rockets for Eric Gordon, but both players have considerably lower salaries than Westbrook.
The Lakers reportedly offered trade scenarios Indiana Pacers for Buddy Hield and the Houston Rockets for Eric Gordon, but both players have considerably lower salaries than Westbrook.
Indiana could bridge that gap by including Myles Turner, which the Lakers coveted for years, but according to Marc Stein, they likely won’t have the assets to get Turner and Hield.
