Russell Westbrook was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, in a multi-team blockbuster deal. Acquiring the former MVP was supposed to be the move that put the Los Angeles Lakers on even footing with other contenders such as the Brooklyn Nets.
Despite the championship expectations from the fanbase and the franchise, the Los Angeles Lakers have been a subpar team, and have remained close to .500 all season. That has led to many people suggesting that Russell Westbrook should be traded.
There is no doubt that the Los Angeles Lakers have failed to develop chemistry thus far. It was clear that it would take some time for the team to gel, but it is now midseason, and the Lakers are not close to being a contender. Russell Westbrook’s fit with the Lakers has long been questioned, and the point guard has recently stated that he doesn’t have an “answer” for how the Lakers should play to beat top-tier teams.
Now, Carmelo Anthony has recently revealed that LeBron James never consulted with him about playing with Russell Westbrook prior to the trade being finalized. Anthony stated that he and LeBron James “never had that conversation” regarding Russell Westbrook. Westbrook and Anthony were notably teammates on the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2017-18 season.
Carmelo on if LeBron talked to him about playing with Russell Westbrook before the trade was made: "No, we never had that. We never had that conversation."
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) January 11, 2022
Carmelo on if LeBron talked to him about playing with Russell Westbrook before the trade was made: “No, we never had that. We never had that conversation.”
It is obvious that stars sometimes have input on roster decisions, and it would make sense that LeBron James would have some say on what moves the Los Angeles Lakers make. Obviously, the final decision on which trades/signings happen rests with the GM which is Rob Pelinka.
We’ll see what happens in the future regarding the Los Angeles Lakers. They definitely have potential as a team, and there’s no question that they have a lot of talent on the roster. Hopefully, they are able to figure things out and start winning more games to move upwards in the Western Conference standings.
