Los Angeles Lakers

Amid an 0-3 start to the 2022-23 season and no signs of hope on the horizon, the Los Angeles Lakers don't appear to be in a rush to make any roster moves.

On Wednesday's episode of Get Up, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said the Lakers haven't attempted to re-engage the Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz in trade talks after their reported negotiations during the offseason.

There were several rumors during the offseason about the Lakers exploring potential trade options involving Russell Westbrook.

According to a report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha on Oct. 3, the Lakers and Pacers "discussed several trade iterations" over the summer involving Westbrook, Myles Turner, Buddy Hield and future draft picks.

The Pacers reportedly demanded the Lakers' available first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 in every version of the deal discussed by the two teams.

In September, The Athletic's Tony Jones reported the Lakers and Jazz were holding "ongoing talks" about potential trades. He did note there was nothing "particularly close" at that point, nor was it clear which players were being discussed by the two sides.

If the Lakers are going to make a major move at some point, it seems likely Westbrook will be at the center of it. They don't have the cap space to add salary, and Westbrook's $47.1 million salary this season is the most on the Lakers roster.

Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka told reporters last month they would need to bring back players who can clearly improve their chances of winning a title in order to trade any of their draft capital.

Even though it's only three games into this season, head coach Darvin Ham appears to be treading lightly when it comes to Westbrook. He previously discussed bringing the 2016-17 MVP off the bench, but the guard has started all three games thus far.

A hamstring injury could keep Westbrook out for Wednesday's contest against the Denver Nuggets. The nine-time All-Star is off to a dreadful start, averaging 10.3 points per game on 28.9 percent shooting.

There have been some positives to take away from Los Angeles' three-game losing streak to start the season. Its 104.1 defensive rating is second in the NBA. LeBron James is averaging 27.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 7.3 assists.

As expected, though, the Lakers' lack of shooting has been devastating to everything else they can do. Per ESPN Stats & Info, their 21.2 percent success rate from three-point range is the second-worst mark ever over any three-game span in which a team attempted at least 100 shots behind the arc.

At 0-3, the Los Angeles Lakers are already falling behind in what is already shaping up to be a competitive Western Conference. Star big man Anthony Davis said Tuesday that the team is aware of the magnitude of the situation and is working to avoid a deeper early-season deficit.

"Obviously, there's some sense of urgency," Davis said after practice, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "You don't want to dig yourself too big of a hole. But we've got to stay even-keeled. We can't get rattled or flustered and things like that. Just like if we win 12 in a row. We don't want to get too high."

The Lakers have been competitive this season, as two of their three losses were by single digits. However, the team's offense has struggled mightily with efficiency and looks like one of the worst in the league. Los Angeles ranks last in the NBA with a 21.2 shooting percentage from three-point range and second to last in points per game at 103.3.

In addition to the Lakers, the Orlando Magic (0-4), Sacramento Kings (0-3) and Oklahoma City Thunder (0-3) are the only other winless teams in the league.

Davis believes the struggles this early in the year will only benefit the Lakers latter in the season.

"We think all this 'adversity' is going to be good for us," Davis said. "We're glad it's happening in October and not March or April. But we'll make shots, continue to defend how we're defending and try to go in [Wednesday] and Friday and get a win."

The Lakers will face the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves this week, both of whom are 2-2. Davis remained optimistic about the team's chances and chose to focus on the positives, as minimal as they may be.

"We're continuously learning each other," Davis said. "The good thing about is we're playing defense, ranked third in the league in defense. In all the statistical categories, we're top 10. We just got to keep pushing. Keep our head down and move forward with the mindset we're going into Denver tomorrow to get a win."

In the midst of a slow start to the 2022-23 season, Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook could be sidelined this week.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Lakers listed Westbrook as doubtful for Wednesday's game against the Denver Nuggets because of a hamstring injury.

Westbrook has been ineffective in the first three games of the year, all of which were losses. He has averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 28.9 percent from the field, including a 0-of-11 performance in the second game. His 28.7 minutes per game is the lowest mark of any Los Angeles starter.

The hamstring issue first arose after the Lakers' preseason finale. Westbrook said coming off the bench in that game was the reason for the injury.

"I've been doing the same thing for 14 years straight," he said following the Lakers' loss to the Golden State Warriors in their regular-season opener. "Honestly, I didn't even know what to do pregame. Being honest, I was trying to figure out how to stay warm and loose. ... That's something I just wasn't accustomed to."

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said Tuesday that he wasn't considering making changes to the starting lineup, but it looks like he won't have a choice. Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star, hasn't played with his usual energy, so it could be a good idea for him to sit out to get refreshed.

The Lakers have a tough stretch of games coming up with matchups against the Nuggets (two), Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz. Los Angeles will need Westbrook to be at his best if it hopes to avoid falling into a deeper hole.

The Los Angeles Lakers have not started the season the way they'd hoped, losing each of their first three games. Despite the team's struggles, head coach Darvin Ham isn't planning on making any significant adjustments any time soon.

When asked on Tuesday if he would consider making changes to the Lakers starting lineup, Ham told reporters, "Not today."

The Lakers lost to three of the best teams in the Western Conference in the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers. Los Angeles had the chance to earn its first win against Portland on Sunday, but it blew a seven-point lead with under two minutes left as the Blazers closed the game on an 11-2 run to steal the victory.

The major problem for the Lakers has been their three-point shooting. Los Angeles has shot 21.2 percent from beyond the arc in its first three games, by far the worst mark in the NBA. The team ranks eighth in the NBA by chucking up 39.3 three-pointers per game, so perhaps a change in its offensive approach is needed.

Many have focused on point guard Russell Westbrook's slow start as a key reason for the Lakers' struggles. The nine-time All-Star is averaging just 10.3 points while shooting 28.9 percent from the field. He was on the bench late in the game against Portland before being reinserted with under a minute left. He took an ill-advised jumper early in the shot clock that rimmed out and gave the Blazers a chance to take the lead.

There's a belief that Westbrook would be better-served coming off the bench for Los Angeles. However, the 33-year-old has resisted the idea, saying his hamstring strain in the team's preseason finale was caused by him not being in the starting lineup.

The Lakers will go for their first win when they return to action on Wednesday in a road matchup against the Denver Nuggets.

While the Los Angeles Lakers haven't executed a headline-grabbing trade after missing the playoffs in 2021-22, it wasn't for a lack of trying by general manager Rob Pelinka.

According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, Pelinka not only threw out two-team proposals but also proposed three- and four-team swaps "throughout the summer and fall."

Windhorst didn't specify whether Russell Westbrook was included in the offers, but it's safe to assume the nine-time All-Star was part of the outgoing packages.

It was clear after last year Los Angeles needed to make at least one big upgrade to its roster, and an 0-3 start to 2022-23 has only reinforced that notion.

The conundrum for Pelinka now, however, is whether it even makes sense to leverage first-round picks in 2027 and 2029 into short-term help.

Windhorst presented one scenario in which the Lakers simply let Westbrook leave as a free agent at the end of the season. Then they'd still have those two first-rounders plus around $34.3 million in projected salary cap space, per Spotrac.

Of course, that would require the franchise to endure what's shaping up to be a brutal campaign, one that could end with once again failing to secure a postseason berth. Per NBA.com, L.A. is 24th in net rating (minus-6.2) in large part because of an offense that's averaging a league-worst 97.2 points per 100 possessions.

LeBron James, who turns 38 in December, may have some questions for the front office if he begins to sense it's another lost year in Southern California.

Still, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported Monday the Lakers "appear determined to give the current roster a proper sample size of 20-to-25 games and assess their needs."

A prudent approach is wise because the team might begin to turn things around in a few weeks. Conversely, Pelinka could point to a losing record—assuming current trends continue—and argue a blockbuster trade isn't worth it if it's only going to result in the Lakers barely scraping by in the playoff race.

As painful as the latter scenario is, having cap space and two first-round picks—the value of which won't be dragged down by Westbrook's $47.1 million salary—might allow for Pelinka to meaningfully transform the team in a way he cannot at the present moment.