The Los Angeles Lakers-Russell Westbrook relationship might not be the best right now, given the recent developments in this saga. LeBron James and Westbrook didn’t acknowledge each other on Friday night when they both attended the Lakers Summer League against the Phoenix Suns.
Of course, this fueled the speculation about Russ’ future with the Lakers. While some think that this means the end of his tenure at Crypto.com Arena, others believe that this won’t change anything between Westbrook and his team.
Head coach Darvin Ham has spoken before about his plans for Westbrook. He’s pretty confident that the former NBA MVP can do big things next season, and he’s all-in to see that. Moreover, insider Marc Stein reports that the Lakers are planning to help Westbrook have a better second season in LA instead of trading him away.
Says a third source close to the situation: Communications between Westbrook and the Lakers this offseason have taken the same tone as Ham’s public commentary. Which is to convey, insists the source, that the messaging has focused on ways to make Westbrook’s second season as a Laker much better than the first rather than bracing him for a potential trade exit.
The Lakers have been linked with several players recently, starting from Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon. However, the biggest target this offseason is disgruntled Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, who has been heavily linked with the Purple and Gold recently.
Ky has starred in a back and forth with the Nets that doesn’t seem to have a foreseeable ending, at least until after they trade Kevin Durant. This isn’t an easy decision for the Nets since it not only depends on one player. Kyrie has fueled the rumors about wanting to reunite with LeBron James in recent days, and reports suggest the Lakers are favorites to sign him this summer.
