The Los Angeles Lakers’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook huddled up on a phone conversation the first weekend of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with each expressing their commitment to one another and vowing to make it work, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
While the uncertainty of Westbrook’s future with the Lakers remains, the conversation was organized to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they’re joined together in their pursuit of a championship, sources said.
Westbrook has never requested a trade from the Lakers, sources said.
The former MVP will earn $47 million for the 2022-23 season before he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2023.
Westbrook’s name has been a constant in trade chatter, specifically his link to a potential package that would include Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving.
After enduring a disappointing 2021-22 season that saw the Lakers missing the playoffs all together, there was reason to believe the trio would only be a one-year experience.
In his first season with the Lakers, Westbrook struggled to find a consistent groove and was largely unjustly painted as one of the central causes of the team’s shortcomings.
The Lakers fired head coach Frank Vogel at the end of the season and hired Darvin Ham to be the new general from the sideline.
Ham has been vocal, stating Westbrook is the team’s starting point guard and doesn’t envision the former MVP going anywhere.
Westbrook and his longtime agent, Thad Foucher of Wasserman, parted ways last week.
