Los Angeles Lakers

Russell Westbrook hasn't come off the bench since his rookie season, but it could be a possibility with the Los Angeles Lakers next season.

"The prospect of Westbrook coming off the bench is being strongly considered," Jovan Buha and Sam Amick of The Athletic reported.

The Lakers acquired Patrick Beverley this offseason before agreeing to a one-year deal with Dennis Schröder on Friday, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium. Though Schröder will make $2.64 million and Westbrook will earn $47.1 million, it seems the starting job will have to be earned on the court.

According to Buha and Amick, new head coach Darvin Ham has "the full backing of the organization" to make whatever roster decisions are needed.

NBA reporter Marc Stein provided more insight on the backcourt plans:

Schröder finished second on the team with 5.8 assists per game when he last played with the Lakers in 2020-21, trailing only LeBron James. He added 15.4 points per game to rank third behind LeBron and Anthony Davis.

Westbrook had better raw numbers in his first season in Los Angeles, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game. His 1.7 win shares were still a career low, per Basketball Reference, while the Lakers were 3.6 points worse per 100 possessions when he was on the court.

Efficiency could still be an issue coming off the bench, but Westbrook's offensive production could be a major plus for the second team when James and Davis are sitting.

Beverley, meanwhile, could be a quality fit in the starting lineup as a low-usage guard who is known for his defensive ability. He has been named to the All-Defensive team three times in his career, and he could help turn around a unit that ranked 21st in the NBA in efficiency last year.

After a 33-49 finish in 2021-22, it's clear the Lakers will try whatever it takes to turn things around next year.

The Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly holding "ongoing talks," according to The Athletic's Tony Jones, though he added that the Jazz "don't appear to be particularly close to a trade that could land them even more assets and consolidate the roster."

The obvious conclusion to draw is that such talks would revolve around Lakers veteran point guard Russell Westbrook and the remaining veterans on Utah's roster such as Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson and Rudy Gay.

The Jazz could match Westbrook's astronomical $47 million contract for the upcoming season by sending back Conley ($22.6 million), Bogdanovic ($19.3 million) and Gay ($6.1 million). Or they could take back Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn ($5.2 million) for Conley, Bogdanovic and Jordan Clarkson ($13.3 million).

The sticking point in the talks, more than likely, will be over the draft capital the Jazz get in return, since the Jazz would almost assuredly look to come to an agreement with Westbrook to waive him.

The Lakers currently have two future first-round picks they can trade in 2027 and 2029. To this point, the reporting around any possible Westbrook trade has indicated the team isn't eager to part with both. But Utah would almost assuredly want at least one pick for its outgoing players and another one to take on Westbrook's massive contract.

And Utah's veteran role players would fit LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers far better than Westbrook currently does.

Conley has taken a step back, but he's still a solid enough defender and could offer floor spacing off the ball when James ran the offense. Bogdanovic would provide a much needed catch-and-shoot option. Gay is a solid-enough two-way wing. Clarkson provides instant offense off the bench.

It's easier to make an argument for any three of those players than it is for Westbrook, a ball-dominant point guard who doesn't provide solid on-ball defense or any floor spacing. He was a bad fit from the jump and a big part of why the Lakers limped to a 33-49 record last season.

The Lakers, publicly, have supported Westbrook. It's hard to imagine they believe, privately, that he's the right fit for the team after last season's debacle. A trade still feels likely, though the Lakers may have to accept that they have zero leverage and part with their two future first-rounders before a deal finally goes down.

LeBron James believes Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury managing partner Robert Sarver should face a harsher penalty than a one-year suspension and a $10 million fine.

The Los Angeles Lakers star tweeted, "Our league definitely got this wrong," adding: "I said it before and I'm gonna say it again, there is no place in this league for that kind of behavior. I love this league and I deeply respect our leadership. But this isn't right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism, and racism in any work place."

The NBA announced Sarver's punishment Tuesday following an investigation that determined he "engaged in conduct that clearly violated common workplace standards":

Sarver first came under significant scrutiny in November 2021 when ESPN's Baxter Holmes reported on multiple allegations of racism and misogyny by Sarver with the Suns.

The NBA responded by initiating an independent investigation, and the law firm of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz released its findings Tuesday in a 43-page report following interviews with 320 people and a review of more than 80,000 documents.

Notably, the investigation determined Sarver "said the N-word in repeating or purporting to repeat a Black person on at least five occasions during his tenure, including after being advised not to do so" and "made many sex-related comments in the workplace."

What's more, the probe found he "made inappropriate comments about the physical appearance of female employees and other women" and "frequently engaged in demeaning and harsh treatment of employees—including by yelling and cursing at them."

Given Sarver's position with the Suns and the nature of the investigation's findings, it was easy to think of the NBA's 2014 response to former Los Angeles Clippers governor Donald Sterling after he was heard making racist comments on tape.

That happened in the early days of Adam Silver's tenure as commissioner, and he responded by banning Sterling from the league and fining him $2.5 million in a move that garnered plenty of praise.

Yet Sarver has been suspended rather than banned, and James—one of the most notable voices in NBA history given the combination of his on-court accomplishments and his willingness to speak out on non-basketball issues—is among those who disagree with the punishment.

Silver held a press conference Wednesday and told reporters the Sarver situation is "dramatically different" than the Sterling one.

The commissioner said Sterling was guilty of "blatant racist conduct directed at a select group of people," while Sarver's comments were "beyond the pale" but "wholly of a different kind."

During the press conference, Silver also said, "there are particular rights here to someone who owns an NBA team as opposed to someone who is an employee" when explaining why an employee of a team might be fired for these actions but Sarver can still keep the team.

James, though, seems to think there is no room in the NBA for Sarver's return to his previous role.

The ongoing trade speculation around Russell Westbrook isn't preventing him from making real estate moves.

Per E.B. Solomont of The Wall Street Journal, the former NBA MVP has listed his Brentwood mansion for sale at the cost of $29.995 million.

Citing the official listing on Zillow, Solomont notes the house is 13,500 square feet and contains six bedrooms, a movie theater, bar, wine room and gym.

Westbrook originally bought the house in 2018 for $19.75 million.

Even though Los Angeles Lakers fans keep waiting for a resolution to the Westbrook saga, listing the property for sale is presumably unrelated to any potential trade coming down the pipeline.

The nine-time All-Star has been very active in real estate in recent years. He sold three properties—two in Oklahoma, one in Beverly Hills—in 2020.

Westbrook and his wife, Nina Earl, are both from California and were married in Beverly Hills.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported last week on an episode of The Lowe Post podcast (h/t HoopsHype.com) that Westbrook is "very open to a trade," but he hasn't asked the Lakers to move him.

New Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has spoken openly about his optimism for Westbrook entering the 2022-23 season.

"I love Russell Westbrook, man," Ham told Marc J. Spears of Andscape in July. "Just his mentality, his approach. Just to see him, a guy of that magnitude and everything he's done in the league to get hated on. But being me, I got a wholehearted plan, a clear plan on how I'm going to use him."

Westbrook's first season with the Lakers was rough for both parties. His 7.1 assists per game did lead the team, but his 18.5 points per game were his fewest since 2009-10. The 33-year-old finished tied for 322nd out of 375 players in true shooting percentage (51.2).

The Lakers missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record.

The 2008 United States men's basketball team will be the subject of a Netflix documentary.

Netflix dropped a trailer for Redeem Team, produced by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, about the "untold story" of the squad that brought U.S. men's basketball to the top of the mountain at the Beijing Olympics.

After winning gold at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Team USA men's basketball underwent a transition phase that led to some difficult results on the court.

The 2002 squad that competed at the FIBA World Championships became the first one to lose in an international tournament with NBA players on the roster. They lost a total of three games, including an 81-78 defeat to Yugoslavia in the quarterfinals.

Things did improve for the U.S. in 2003 at the Tournament of the Americas thanks to the participation of several NBA superstars at the peak of their careers, including Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Tim Duncan, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady.

That group cruised to victory with 10 wins by an average of 24.6 points per game to clinch a berth in the 2004 Olympics. The Athens games saw several players from the 2003 team not participate, notably McGrady, Kidd, Carter, Jermaine O'Neal and Elton Brand.

James, Wade and Carmelo Anthony participated, but all three had not yet established themselves as go-to superstars after just one season in the NBA. America went 3-2 in group play and lost to Argentina in the semifinal, settling for a bronze medal.

It marked the first time since 1988 that Team USA didn't win gold at the Olympics. Their 5-3 record in the tournament was their worst in the history of the event.

Four years later, led by a more experienced James, Wade, Anthony and captained by Kobe Bryant, the U.S. steamrolled its competition en route to a gold medal in Beijing. The squad went 8-0 with a +223 point differential.

The documentary about the Redeem Team drops Oct. 7 on Netflix.

The Los Angeles Lakers are prepared to commit to LeBron James for the remainder of his NBA career.

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss recently told Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated she wants James to retire in a Lakers uniform.

"With LeBron, we have a line of communication between the two of us, and he knows that he can reach me any time and vice versa," Buss said on The Crossover. "And I think he feels appreciated. I know I appreciated that he signed an extension to stay here and continue to lead the Laker team. He's a fantastic leader both on and off the court, and I feel like we're blessed to have him as a Laker. I want to see him retire as a Laker."

James signed a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension with the Lakers this offseason, tying him to the team through at least the 2023-24 season. He has a $50.7 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign.

The player option is interesting, given James' long-stated desire to play with his son Bronny before he retires. Bronny James will be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft should he choose to declare after his freshman season.

LeBron's eldest son is the No. 45 overall player in the 2023 high school class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. While he's not considered an elite prospect, it's not outside the realm of possibilities that he's eventually an NBA-caliber player.

Should Bronny James declare for the 2024 draft, the Lakers—and 29 other NBA teams—will have an interesting decision to make. If LeBron follows through on his plan to play with Bronny, every team in the 2024 draft will have a potential bargaining chip as James possibly heads for free agency.

While it would be unprecedented for a team to use a draft pick for the express purpose of signing a free agent, a father-son duo in the NBA is equally unprecedented.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook reportedly remains "very open" to a potential trade ahead of the 2022-23 NBA season.

ESPN's Ramona Shelburne reported the update Friday during an appearance on The Lowe Post podcast (via HoopsHype).

"Russ is very open to a trade," Shelburne said. "He hasn't asked for a trade. I've been assured of that. But he's open to that, and somebody who wants him and wants to empower him and wants him to be Russell Westbrook of old."

The nine-time All-Star has been the focus of trade rumors throughout the summer, but the buzz has faded considerably since Kevin Durant rescinded his Brooklyn Nets trade request, which likely ensures Kyrie Irving will remain KD's running mate for another season.

Irving, who won a championship alongside the Lakers' LeBron James with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, was always the most likely candidate to land in L.A. as part of what would have probably been a three-team blockbuster.

If he's staying put in Brooklyn, there isn't another obvious option on the free-agent or trade markets, which is why Los Angeles is now staring down another season with the James, Westbrook and Anthony Davis core that flamed out last year.

The Lakers missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record as LeBron and AD struggled with injuries while Russ endured a forgettable campaign. The 2016-17 NBA MVP ranked tied for 232nd out of 250 qualified players in FiveThirtyEight's WAR metric.

While a change of scenery would be best for both Westbrook and the Lakers, the cost of trying to move him is a significant hurdle.

L.A. has been steadfast in its desire to only move one first-round draft pick in a potential trade, but so far that hasn't yielded much interest from other teams.

Last week, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times reported rival executives are seeking two first-rounders, one for taking on the last season of Westbrook's five-year, $206.8 million contract and another for the pieces of the return package heading to L.A.

New Lakers head coach Darvin Ham has consistently expressed excitement about working with Russ, and that continued Tuesday while discussing how the backcourt is shaping up following the acquisition of Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz.

"They're both highly competitive human beings who want to win," Ham told reporters. "Give me 17 of those guys in my locker room like that. If we prepare the right way, I can guarantee you there'll be great results on the back end."

Ultimately, while the Lakers and Westbrook could both benefit from going their separate ways, each passing day makes it more likely he's in the team's lineup to open the new season in October.

It's looking increasingly like Russell Westbrook will open the season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported the Lakers have not been satisfied with the offers they've received for the 2017 NBA MVP.

"Based on the executives I'm talking to, they believe that the Lakers have come to the conclusion that they are not going to trade Westbrook now because they don't like any of their offers and they're going to try to make the best of it and see what happens. That's what the executives think," he said on Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective (59:15 mark).

The Lakers spent much of the offseason watching the Brooklyn Nets' drama unfold, hoping Kyrie Irving would become available at a discount. Their chances of landing Irving evaporated when Kevin Durant rescinded his trade request last month.

The Indiana Pacers have also long been viewed as a potential suitor for Westbrook, dangling a package of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Lakers have refused to include two future first-round picks to dump Westbrook's contract in a Pacers deal.

While it appeared Westbrook's poor on-court fit with LeBron James and Anthony Davis would lead the Lakers to make any trade they could find, their front office seemingly remains bullish on the trio.

New head coach Darvin Ham has gone out of his way to praise Westbrook, and governor Jeanie Buss made waves with an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic where she called him the Lakers' "best player" last season, though she later clarified to Amick that she should've used the word "consistent":

"All I can say is that, from my point of view, (Westbrook) was our best player last year. He played pretty much every single game, showed up, worked hard. You know, I would have loved to have seen what this team would have looked like if they stayed healthy. It's really tough to win when Anthony Davis isn't on the court. LeBron was hurt a lot of the season. But Russ showed up every game and played hard every night. And, you know, I just really appreciate him for who he is and what he brings to the team."

Nearly everyone who watched the Lakers play last season would disagree with the "best player" categorization, but we're not the ones running the organization. All it takes is one team to believe Westbrook is still a star, and it's becoming increasingly apparent the Lakers are that team.

Numerous NBA executives and scouts believe that Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook should come off the bench this season.

Fox Sports' Ric Bucher wrote that "rival executives and scouts" proved to be "nearly unanimous" in thinking both Westbrook and the Lakers would be better off if he guided the reserves.

"It’s hard to see him as anything but a backup for the Lakers," a Western Conference scout told Bucher.

"It’s hard for him to play with [Anthony Davis] and LeBron [James]. It might be OK if they let him go with the second unit. He has to play the only way he knows how unless he can miraculously learn to shoot."

Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and nine-time All-NBA team member, struggled in his first season in purple and gold last year. The 14-year NBA veteran ended the 2021-22 campaign with a career-low 15.0 player efficiency rating, per Basketball Reference.

The Lakers could hypothetically start offseason acquisition Patrick Beverley at point guard and bring Westbrook off the bench.

That would presumably give the Lakers a starting lineup featuring LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves and Thomas Bryant. The second unit would consist of players such as Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Lonnie Walker IV.

L.A. could also play Westbrook and Beverley in the backcourt together. New head coach Darvin Ham has reportedly told the tandem that he has lineup ideas pairing the two, per NBA reporter Marc Stein.

Ultimately, the Lakers are looking to shake things up after going 33-49 and missing the playoffs. Perhaps Westbrook ends up coming off the bench, but that's also something he hasn't done since he was a rookie in 2008-09.

For now, all signs point to Westbrook reprising his starting role on a team that saw major upheaval outside the Big Three.