Los Angeles Lakers

As Draymond Green prepares to potentially become a free agent after this season, there have been rumblings he could pursue a deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com, there's a belief around the NBA that Green is using the Lakers for leverage to try to get more money from Golden State.

There have been a lot of questions about Green's future with the Warriors in the wake of his altercation with Jordan Poole during a practice last week that resulted in the four-time All-Star punching his teammate.

After stepping away from the team for a few days, Green returned Thursday and addressed the situation with Poole during a press conference.

"Jordan's a professional and I'm a professional," Green said. "We have a job to do...We're gonna do what it takes to win, and I think that's the most important thing."

Head coach Steve Kerr announced the Warriors fined Green, but he was not going to be suspended and he's expected to play in the preseason finale Friday against the Denver Nuggets.

In the aftermath of the Poole punch, ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said on First Take this week that Green wants to play for the Lakers if he leaves Golden State.

Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reported in July that Green "wants and believes" he deserves a four-year max contract from the Warriors, but the team had "no plans" to make him such an offer.

The Warriors are in a tricky spot with player contracts. They have been willing to pay deep into the repeater tax to keep their core of Green, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson together.

Things will start to get interesting after this season with Green able to opt out of his deal and Andrew Wiggins set to become an unrestricted free agent. Kerr told reporters earlier this week that Poole is "hopefully" about to sign a "big extension" with the team.

Green's current deal pays him $25.8 million this season with a $27.6 million player option for 2023-24. The 32-year-old was named to the All-Defensive second team last season, and he averaged 7.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game in 46 games during the 2021-22 campaign.

The Warriors will begin defense of their NBA title Oct. 18 when they host the Lakers at Chase Center.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley said his relationship with teammate Russell Westbrook is strong heading into the 2022-23 NBA season.

"Everything's great. I sit on the plane, he's right next to me," Beverley told reporters Thursday. "We get on the road, we hang out together."

His comments come after a video emerged during Wednesday night's preseason game against the Minnesota Timberwolves that appeared to show Westbrook refusing to join a Beverley-led team huddle. Beverley said he hadn't seen the footage.

Beverley and Westbrook developed a long history of on-court confrontations while on opposing teams over the past decade.

It raised questions about how their relationship would go as teammates after Beverley was acquired in a July trade and whether any potential friction could negatively impact the Lakers, who are coming off a playoff-less season.

Westbrook downplayed the situation at the start of training camp in September.

"I'm an easygoing guy. I don't hold grudges against anybody—life is too short," the nine-time All-Star said. "We've been blessed with too many opportunities and platforms to walk around and hold grudges. I just continue to move forward. Obviously, when I'm on the court, I don't have any friends other than that basketball and the people that's on my team, so I compete. Other than that, off the floor, I'm just a normal guy that likes to have fun."

Westbrook also spoke to reporters Thursday, saying he was having a conversation with the coaching staff that caused him to miss the Beverley huddle:

Russell Westbrook on all the huddle speculation: pic.twitter.com/kx4cd50pPB

— Melissa Rohlin (@melissarohlin) October 13, 2022

The pre-Lakers interactions between Beverley and Westbrook are likely causing Wednesday's video to get blown out of proportion. Those things happen on a nightly basis in the NBA and go unnoticed.

Questions remain about whether L.A. made enough roster adjustments during the offseason to bounce back from a 33-49 season. The type of blockbuster deal that was expected after it missed the playoffs never materialized, leading to a series of smaller depth moves.

In turn, there's a lot of pressure on Westbrook, who was the focus of trade rumors throughout the summer, to make his way back toward All-Star form after a forgettable first season with the Lakers.

L.A. is scheduled to tip off the regular season Oct. 18 when it visits the reigning champion Golden State Warriors, who are dealing with their own internal question marks after a practice altercation between Draymond Green and Jordan Poole last week.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook is downplaying any speculation stemming from viral videos of him not standing near his teammates during preseason games.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Westbrook explained he's been "doing the same ritual" before games for as long as he's been in the NBA.

Russell Westbrook appeared to stand off to the side during the Lakers’ pregame huddle on Wednesday against the Timberwolves.

🎥 @_michaelmorales10 on Instagram pic.twitter.com/DAVkZISSwv

— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) October 13, 2022

Addressing another video that showed him waving away Patrick Beverley, who called for a huddle following a foul on the defensive end, Westbrook said he was "talking to the coaches about a missed coverage" and the video got cut to make it look like he was dismissing his teammates.

A full clip of the pregame video was posted online, showing Westbrook in the huddle with his teammates at the start. He then runs to the bench to take off his warmup gear and wipe himself off with a towel shortly before they break the huddle.

Rob Perez of Underdog Fantasy noted Westbrook has been doing this same thing for at least a decade, and he found a clip of the former NBA MVP doing it prior to a game last season.

Regarding the second video of the Lakers' players gathering on the court after a foul call, Perez posted a video from the Spectrum SportsNet feed that showed Westbrook was clearly talking to someone on the team's sideline at the time they were huddled up.

It's not a surprise that everything Westbrook does is the subject of intense scrutiny, particularly from Lakers fans. He's been at the center of trade rumors since the end of last season.

The Athletic's Bob Kravitz reported in July the Lakers and Indiana Pacers had talks about a deal that would have sent Westbrook and a first-round draft pick to Indiana for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, but talks broke down because the Pacers wanted a second first-round pick in the trade.

Head coach Darvin Ham told reporters after Wednesday's preseason contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves that the team's style will likely alter the way Westbrook plays:

"Again, we’re playing a positionless style so the opportunities are not gonna always come for him with the ball in your hands. In terms of Russ, there’s running lanes, there’s guy that are willing passers that are gonna find him, we just got to commit to our running habits and our spacing. He can find himself in the corner, he can find himself in the dunker, he can find himself pushing and leading the break. And I think you saw all of that when we played Phoenix in Vegas."

As things currently stand, Westbrook appears likely to at least start the regular season with the Lakers. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in 78 starts during the 2021-22 season.

The Lakers struggled their way to a 33-49 record and an 11th-place finish in the Western Conference last season. They are hoping for a fresh start with Ham, as they try to get back into playoff contention.

Westbrook has the potential to be an integral part of what the Lakers are going to do. He will get the opportunity to prove he can fit in with this group when they open the regular season on Oct. 18 against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.

To hear Dennis Schröder tell it, he never rejected the four-year, $84 million contract extension that was widely believed to be on the table during the 2020-21 campaign.

"I mean, end of the day, there never was a contract," Schröder said, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "There never was a contract, never rejected anything. ... That's not true."

According to McMenamin, Los Angeles approached him about a potential contract extension in February 2021, but his representatives said they preferred to wait until the offseason to discuss such a move.

However, the 29-year-old struggled down the stretch for a Lakers team that lost in the first round of the playoffs, and the Lakers decided not to offer the four-year, $84 million contract extension by the time the offseason rolled around.

Schröder ended up settling for a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, although he is back with the Purple and Gold after signing a one-year, $2.64 million contract with the team this offseason.

Perhaps he will never get the chance to land such a lucrative deal at this point of his career, but the 29-year-old would settle for his first championship as he rejoins the Lakers.

The presence of LeBron James and Anthony Davis means Los Angeles could, in theory, contend for a title, but the team is coming off a disappointing 33-49 effort that wasn't even good enough for the play-in tournament.

Playing without Anthony Davis in Wednesday's 119-115 preseason loss to the Phoenix Suns, the Los Angeles Lakers did get a glimpse of what Kendrick Nunn can offer them off the bench when the real games begin.

Nunn played 19 minutes off the bench, dropping 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field (4-of-7 from three) with three rebounds and two assists. LeBron James was the only Lakers player with more points in the game (23 in 17 minutes).

Lakers fans are already to declare Nunn as a Sixth Man of the Year candidate based on his performance:

Kendrick Nunn will make a run for 6th Man of The Year — this season. pic.twitter.com/3R2TEEhYpV

— 🦉 Lakers Vino (@VinoUncorked) October 6, 2022

A lot of Lakers fans don’t believe Kendrick Nunn is good lol. Lol them folks crazy man

— Johnny Sauce (@Real_JPIII) October 6, 2022

Kendrick Nunn the Lakers 3rd best player

— God$peed™️ (30-34) (@matteqrey) October 6, 2022

Kendrick Nunn is the key #LakeShow

— Thurz 🇧🇿 x 🇨🇮 (@Thurzday) October 6, 2022

While some of that reaction is a bit over the top, Nunn did provide several highlight moments throughout the game. He was doing a lot of his damage when the Suns had their starting lineup on the court.

Booker and Ayton still in the game and they're getting cooked by Kendrick Nunn pic.twitter.com/e2FPfn4jFa

— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) October 6, 2022

Kendrick Nunn cooking the first unit of the Phoenix Suns…
pic.twitter.com/kJjt5ThNPZ

— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) October 6, 2022

The Lakers gave Nunn a two-year, $10 million contract in free agency in August 2021. He was expected to provide a spark off the bench, but a knee injury that lingered for the entire season kept him out for the entire 2021-22 campaign.

Head coach Darvin Ham used Nunn in the starting lineup for the preseason opener against the Sacramento Kings. The 27-year-old was inconsistent in the game with nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, but committing five turnovers with one assist in 20 minutes.

Ham opted to use a three-guard starting lineup on Wednesday, with Austin Reaves, Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley. The Lakers put up 69 points in the first half against Phoenix's defense.

Nunn made himself a valuable rotation piece for the Miami Heat in his first two NBA seasons from 2019-21. He averaged 14.6 points with a 38.1 three-point percentage during the 2020-21 season.

This the Kendrick Nunn that was in Miami. Glad he’s reminding everyone.

— Laker Central (@LakerCentral365) October 6, 2022

Kendrick Nunn showing us what we missed last year 👏

— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) October 6, 2022

One of the big concerns for the Lakers going into this season is shooting. They ranked 22nd in the NBA with a 34.7 percent success rate from behind the arc in 2021-22. The front office didn't really address that issue in free agency, so the clear hope is Nunn can pick up where he left off two years ago with the Heat.

Based on the early returns from preseason, Nunn at least looks like he will be a big part of the rotation for Ham when the regular season starts on Oct. 18.

NBA general managers voted LeBron James as having the best basketball IQ in the league, but there is less consensus compared to a year ago.

Last year, a survey of GMs gave James 53 percent of the vote for the highest basketball IQ, per John Schuhmann of NBA.com. In this year's survey, only 45 percent of GMs voted for LeBron in the same question.

The big change was the rise of Nikola Jokic, who went from earning seven percent ahead of last season to 24 percent of votes going into 2022-23.

The two players are definitely heading in different directions in their careers.

Jokic won his second straight MVP award last season, averaging 27.1 points, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game. Even without elite athleticism, the center is often in complete control of the game while remaining extremely efficient.

His 15.2 win shares were easily the best in the NBA last season, per Basketball Reference.

James, meanwhile, is coming off an injury-filled season in which the Los Angeles Lakers even missed the play-in tournament with a 33-49 record. He did average an impressive 30.3 points per game when on the court, although he didn't qualify for the scoring title after playing just 56 games.

The 37-year-old also averaged just 6.2 assists per game last year, down from 7.8 the year before and 10.2 in 2019-20 when he led the league.

General managers know he still has an elite basketball IQ, but now there are others close to his level.

Chris Paul (14 percent), Stephen Curry (10 percent) and Luka Doncic (seven percent) also received votes for the highest IQ in the league.

Los Angeles Lakers fans aren't as willing to be patient with Russell Westbrook as the team apparently is, despite the former NBA MVP putting together a solid performance in Monday's 105-75 preseason loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Westbrook played 15 minutes, the least of any Lakers starter in the game. He scored five points on 2-of-3 shooting, dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds. The nine-time All-Star was one of three L.A. players with a positive plus-minus (plus-1), along with LeBron James and Anthony Davis (both plus-2).

Lakers fans were more interested in talking about the report from The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha from earlier in the day.

According to the report, several key decision-makers for the Lakers "spent several days" before the start of training camp engaged in trade talks on a deal that would have sent Westbrook and two unprotected first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2029 to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

Even though Monday's game was a preseason outing, Lakers fans didn't take too well to seeing their team lose by 30 points. Some went out of their way to tag the team and members of the front office, including governor Jeanie Buss and general manager Rob Pelinka, to let them know this roster still doesn't look very good.

Good morning @Lakers @RobPelinkaLAL @JeanieBuss I know it’s only 1 preseason game, but if you look at that roster and think they can contend the fans can’t see it, please make the trade with @Pacers immediately before the season starts.

— Andre Thurmon (@pastorthurmon) October 4, 2022

Just do the Pacers trade PLEASE @Lakers

— ʟᴀᴋᴇꜱʜᴏᴡᴀᴠᴇ (@LakeShoWave) October 4, 2022

@Lakers is it to late to make the pacers trade?

— Trel Scattaboo (@Tre_Brown10) October 4, 2022

JUST DO THE PACERS TRADE FOR GOD SAKE

— Gabriel (@6gaba123) October 4, 2022

@Lakers DO THE PACERS TRADE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD

— Gabriel (@6gaba123) October 4, 2022

Other fans weren't tagging the Lakers or people affiliated with the team. They were making it known they are unhappy with the state of things in Los Angeles.

https://twitter.com/CurryssGoated/status/1577248258627248129

https://twitter.com/lbjmvpszn6/status/1577239860330389504

Lol this team isn’t good. They need to make that pacers trade to at least book a playoff spot… 6-8 seed…. If they keep this roster, lakers missing the playoffs again. Cause no bench and AD gonna get hurt. Pains me to say it but happens every year

— Kingleo81 (@Kingleo814) October 4, 2022

https://twitter.com/Pryorityy/status/1577155853387726848

Lakers looking real stupid not doing the pacers deal rn, they have a chance to forge a real contender but choosing to pass

— suiryoo (@suiryoo) October 4, 2022

During Lakers media day last week, Pelinka stressed the importance of not rushing into making a trade because they "have one shot to make a trade with multiple picks" involved.

It is telling that Pelinka was willing to strongly consider making the 2027 and 2029 picks unprotected in those talks with the Pacers. Their long-term outlook is pretty bleak at this point.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis are the only star-level players in Los Angeles right now. James is going to turn 38 on Dec. 3. Davis' 30th birthday will happen during the 2022-23 season (March 11) and he's missed 78 games in the past two seasons combined because of injuries.

While it's impossible to predict where things in the NBA will be five years from now, those draft picks could end up being high in the lottery. It's hard to be patient when you're a franchise like the Lakers, but it is their best approach heading into a season with a lot of uncertainty about their upside.

A sense of optimism always blossoms when a new season is about to start. When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers, that means talking yourself into Russell Westbrook finally becoming the complementary player his game necessitates.

The Athletic's Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha reported Monday the 33-year-old has looked impressive in training camp:

During scrimmages, Westbrook has been doing many of the little things that the Lakers have asked of him. He’s been an active on-ball screener. He’s relentlessly pushing the pace in Ham’s uptempo system, looking for his teammates first and his own shot second. He’s been engaged defensively, hounding ballhandlers while adjusting to Ham’s new pick-and-roll coverage.

Westbrook slightly refined his shooting form this summer, and sources say his catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage has been improved in workouts and scrimmages.

The report added how the mutual trust between Westbrook and first-year head coach Darvin Ham "has been a key component in the Lakers’ belief that they can find a way to optimize Westbrook in a winning environment."

Still, the question remains whether Westbrook's encouraging steps on the practice court will carry over in games that matter.

It's not unheard of for an aging vet to transform his playing style late into his career.

Vince Carter continued going into his early 40s because he successfully transitioned to off-ball duties. Ray Allen became so synonymous with the three-point specialist role it was easy to forget he regularly averaged 20-plus points per game in his prime.

In the case of Westbrook, though, many wonder whether the single-minded determination that helped him become an MVP will prohibit him from taking a step back and recognizing his own limitations.

After what was arguably the worst season of his career in 2021-22, the nine-time All-Star lamented how he didn't get to be his usual self.

Russell Westbrook said "top to bottom" on coming to L.A.: I just felt like I was never given a fair chance to be who I needed to be to help this team.

— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) April 11, 2022

Then there's the general skepticism over whether Westbrook can even be a good shooter if he cedes the ball more to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The 6'3" guard was a 29.8 percent three-point shooter last year, the fourth time in five seasons he failed to crack 30 percent.

That number is almost equal to his clip on catch-and-shoot threes (29.9 percent), per NBA.com. His catch-and-shoot rate was better in 2020-21 (35.6 percent) but a similar rate (29.1 percent) in 2019-20.

Maybe hitting rock bottom is what Westbrook needed to adapt to reality. When people are arguing your days as a starting point guard might be over, you don't have much other choice.

In the event his shooting doesn't significantly improve, becoming more of a facilitator would go some way to remedying a Lakers offense that was a mess at times last season.

LeBron James has a lot of sway over the Los Angeles Lakers front office, but the superstar isn't trying to force a deal involving Russell Westbrook, according to Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The Lakers have reportedly held talks with the Indiana Pacers about a potential Westbrook trade, but James has "applied no pressure" to complete a deal.

Instead, LeBron "has shown support publicly and privately to integrating Westbrook and playing with the former league MVP again this season."

Westbrook has been the subject of trade rumors throughout the offseason after a disappointing first season with the Lakers. The 33-year-old averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in 2021-22 while the team struggled to a 33-49 record.

Los Angeles strengthened its backcourt this offseason with the additions of Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schröder, seemingly leaving Westbrook as the odd man out.

According to The Athletic, talks with the Pacers have centered around a deal that would send Westbrook and draft picks for center Myles Turner and guard Buddy Hield. This would give the Lakers much-needed rim protection defensively as well as another scorer to take pressure off James and Anthony Davis.

The holdup has been the full compensation, with the Pacers seeking multiple unprotected first-round picks in the deal.

The 37-year-old James likely doesn't care about the Lakers' picks in 2027 or 2029. He should put his full support behind this type of deal even if it mortgages more of the team's future. However, he is seemingly content with the roster as assembled and ready to move forward with Westbrook.

New Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has also said he is "absolutely" treating Westbrook as a starter heading into the preseason.

An internal "debate" reportedly continues to wage on behind the scenes as the Los Angeles Lakers decide whether to trade Russell Westbrook.

Shams Charania, Sam Amick and Jovan Buha of The Athletic reported the Lakers' brain trust of Rob Pelinka, Jeanie Buss and Kurt Rambis met ahead of training camp and "seriously considered" a trade that would send Westbrook and two future first-round picks to the Indiana Pacers for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.

The opinions of coach Darvin Ham and Lakers executives Joey and Jesse Buss were also reportedly "strongly considered" in the process.

Pelinka has final say on basketball moves, but the group decided it would not make a move unless a consensus was reached. With Westbrook opening the preseason in a Lakers uniform, there were obviously differing opinions on how to handle the situation.

Jeanie Buss was reportedly Westbrook's strongest champion among the brain trust, believing a "combination of Ham’s style and on-court plan could be the solution here." Ham has expressed excitement about coaching Westbrook on multiple occasions and has publicly preached accountability—particularly on the defensive end.

It's clear there is no guarantee Westbrook will remain with the organization through the end of the season. Pelinka's current plan is to "remain patient and see" if Westbrook fits better under Ham than he did under former coach Frank Vogel, who clashed with the 2017 MVP throughout last season.

There is some danger in waiting. The Pacers are not going to sit around and hope the Lakers come back to the trade table; if an opportunity presents itself to move Turner and/or Hield, they'll strike. Indiana could also start out hotter than expected as its young roster starts coalescing.

From a pure basketball perspective, Turner and Hield are a better fit next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis than Westbrook. Both James and Westbrook are at their apex of effectiveness with the ball in their hands, and Westbrook's lack of shooting prowess makes him a liability when he's asked to spot up. Taking the ball out of James' hands in favor of Westbrook makes little sense given the fact LeBron is a far superior basketball player.

The Lakers' long-standing obsession with star power may be clouding the front office's vision, given most outside observers have already come to the conclusion that this trio simply does not work on the floor.