Last summer, LeBron James was reportedly the impetus behind the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Russell Westbrook rather than going after Buddy Hield or DeMar DeRozan.
But by midseason, when it was clear the Lakers wouldn’t even come close to contending for the NBA championship, James and his camp wanted Westbrook gone.
The team reportedly rebuffed an offer from the Houston Rockets that would’ve landed John Wall for Westbrook plus draft compensation, something that ruffled the feathers of James and his camp.
The four-time MVP is now apparently pushing L.A. to do whatever it takes to land Kyrie Irving, his former championship teammate on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to Dave McMenamin, James still wants to move on from Westbrook.
Via Total Pro Sports:
“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.’”
If for no other reason, the Lakers may need to trade Westbrook simply because of the reportedly unhealthy dynamic between him and James. It’s a dynamic the team shouldn’t risk, especially as it attempts to maximize James’ final years and contend for another NBA championship.
On the other hand, a recent report stated that Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis had a phone call during which the three vowed to make things work together this coming season.
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