LeBron James and the LA Lakers struggled to find a groove last season. While preseason predictions placed them among the title contenders, the Lake Show aircraft fell to pieces far short of its intended destination. Their postseason aspirations were cruelly dashed as the team didn’t even make it to the play-in tournament.
The Lakers’ season was marred by a series of obstacles. From being under-prepared and hastily acquiring players in the offseason to a succession of injuries, it was a tremendous organizational collapse from the top down. Russell Westbrook was eventually scapegoated for the franchise’s season going downhill.
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Things looked gloomy with Westbrook, James, and Anthony Davis on the hardwood, as the Lakers struggled to win. The idea of adding a third superstar to the LeBron-AD tandem wasn’t a terrible one. However, chemistry issues were obvious from the outset.
LeBron James was reportedly the driving force behind the franchise’s all-out pursuit of Russell Westbrook. The King, however, is now reportedly pushing the Lakers to get Westbrook out of Los Angeles.
LeBron James wants to move on from Russell Westbrook
The Lakers had the chance to acquire DeMar DeRozan or Buddy Hield last offseason. However, with LeBron James as the impetus behind the franchise’s decision to acquire Russell Westbrook, the Lakers took the Brodie route.
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However, recent reports flooding the town suggest that James wants Westbrook gone. As per Dave McMenamin, the 4-time NBA champion wants to move on from Westbrook. The NBA insider shed some light on the situation in LA on ESPN’s The Lowe Post podcast.
“It’s pretty darn clear that LeBron has seen enough and he has no interest going into another year with Russ as his teammate,” McMenamin said.
ICYMI earlier this week: Lowe Post podcast: @mcten on all things Lakers, then @herring on the Bulls. New wide-ranging episode tomorrow morning:
Spotify: https://t.co/g9boWi9o9z
Apple: https://t.co/6YjoFnt15q
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 21, 2022
If not for other reasons, the franchise may have to relocate Westbrook owing to his eroding relationship with James. However, another report from a few days ago claimed that James, Westbrook, and Davis got on a call. They apparently acknowledged their commitment to one another and promised to make their trio work.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled for a phone conversation to confirm their commitment to each other through the uncertainty, league sources told @YahooSports: https://t.co/7a4Ykdgo6V
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 18, 2022
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Westbrook trade talks haven’t slowed down since the end of last season. Several people blamed the Lakers’ poor season on the point guard. The fit and situation, however, were not ideal for him. Now, the question remains whether the franchise will run it back or not.
Russell Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games last season for the Lakers.
Only four other players averaged 18/7/7 for the season: Nikola Jokić, James Harden, Dejounte Murray and Luka Doncic.
Is the Westbrook hate getting out of hand? 🧐 pic.twitter.com/5TnoYAXb0M
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) July 18, 2022
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What lies ahead for the Lakers in the midst of this chaos? Where will Westbrook end up? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.