Is there something going on in Los Angeles?
On Instagram, star guard Russell Westbrook raised some eyebrows when he cleared all Lakers pictures (and pics from his time with the Rockets and Wizards) from his social media.
One NBA fan posted a screenshot of Russell Westbrook’s Instagram page on Twitter, and it appears he has removed all mentions of the Los Angeles Lakers, and all posts of him in the purple and gold of the Lakers. It appears Westbrook may have closed the door on this chapter of his career and is looking to greener pastures as he enters the offseason with his future uncertain.
In the aftermath, some have taken the behavior as a sign that Russ has moved on from the Purple and Gold and will, at some point, be sent to a new team this summer.
Now, fans are focused on what may have happened a few hours later.
Apparently, Buddy Hield gave LeBron James a follow on IG shortly after the Westbrook purge (unconfirmed) and it has folks speculating that some big shakeup could be in the works.
https://twitter.com/LeNooshi/status/1518788116630446080
It looks awfully suspicious at first glance, especially when you consider how much Buddy Hield has been connected to the franchise over the past year.
At one point, it was reported that the Lakers tried to trade Westbrook for Hield before the deadline.
“I wrote in early January about how they showed covert interest in discussing possible Westbrook deals early on this season. But more specifically, sources say one such scenario involved Sacramento and — wait for it — a deal in which then-Kings guard Buddy Hield would be sent to the Lakers. Yes, that’s the same Buddy Hield who came so close to being traded to the Lakers in the summer before they prioritized the Westbrook trade with Washington and left the Kings fuming,” wrote Sam Amick.
Unfortunately, there is a lot of debate on if the photo is actually real. Some are saying that Hield has been following James since way before recently — and they might be right.
If this turns out to be nothing, it would be a big blow to Lakers fans who want to see him gone.
Nevertheless, hope remains that Rob Pelinka can pull off a miracle and make the changes the roster so desperately needs.
