Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook signed with Excel Sports' Jeff Schwartz for his representation moving forward, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

This comes after Westbrook and former agent Thad Foucher went their separate ways. While an NBA player changing agents is fairly common, Foucher issued a statement to Wojnarowski that cited "irreconcilable differences" and referenced Westbrook's uncertain future with the Lakers:

Now, with a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario. And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout.

My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell's value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered. Russell is a first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player and will prove that again before he is retired.

For now, Westbrook remains a member of the Lakers, who have pursued multiple trade routes involving the nine-time All-Star.

HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported on July 12 that Los Angeles wasn't prepared to attach multiple first-round picks to Westbrook in a deal.

NBA insider Marc Stein also reported the Lakers' pursuit of Kyrie Irving is on hold because the Brooklyn Nets want to resolve Kevin Durant's situation and prefer to have another team absorb Westbrook's $47.1 million player option.

The Athletic's Bob Kravitz added on July 22 that a trade with the Indiana Pacers that would send the 33-year-old out "is currently dead."

As a result, Westbrook and the Lakers might have to spend one more season together, and Foucher's statement raised questions over whether the 6'3" guard will be willing to adapt to a new role with the team.

"Furthermore, Foucher hinted at Westbrook’s lack of self-awareness regarding his situation," Jovan Buha of The Athletic wrote. "Westbrook hasn’t accepted that his prime is behind him and the limitations in his game make it difficult for him to be a part of a team that has higher aspirations than losing in the first round of the playoffs."

Now, fans are left to wonder whether the hiring of Schwartz will alter the situation at all and potentially expedite Westbrook's exit from L.A. through a trade or outright buyout.

At this point, it's no secret that the Los Angeles Lakers need to improve on their outside shooting woes.

Last season, they shot 34.7 percent from three as a team, ninth worst in the NBA.

But just in case there are those that didn't know or forgot about how bad the Lakers are at shooting the ball, the front office is making things a bit more clear.

According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, L.A. are "looking on start whichever wing/guard can make 3s and defend at the point of attack at the highest level on the roster."

That immediately brings to mind the curious case of Russell Westbrook, who statistically had one of the worst seasons of his career last season, especially when it comes to shooting from behind the arc.

For the 2021-22 season, Westbrook shot just 29.8 percent from three, which wasn't the worst on the team.

But what stood out was when he took his threes. They seemed to come too early in the shot clock and were ill-advised and forced. All of that coupled with his team-leading 3.8 turnovers per game really seemed to make him appear to lose confidence in his shot and his game.

By the end of the season, Laker fans were not only booing the nine-time All Star—they were wanting him gone, too.

And by all accounts, it appears the Lakers front office agrees with that sentiment. They've been trying to trade the former NBA MVP most of the offseason to no avail.

Whether it be for a "better third star" like Kyrie Irving or "stronger depth" like Myles Turner and Buddy Hield, per Buha, L.A. has not been able to move Westbrook and it looks as if they'll start the 2021-22 season with him still on their roster.

So they'll have to lean on how recently hired head coach Darvin Ham uses him in his offensive and defensive schemes.

When Ham first landed the job, he said all the right things about Westbrook, citing his status as a superstar, his energy and peddle-to-the-floor playing style.

He also leaning into the idea that Westbrook can and will focus his competitive fire more on the defensive end.

“In today’s game, Russ is known for his huge competitive spirit and the velocity in which he gets up and down the floor pushing the ball," Ham said on NBA TV during summer league. "The thing I said is that you just have to diversify that. Not only will he be leading the charge and pushing the break, but screening and rolling, defending. I have a film put together of him being a pitbull on defense in pick-and-rolls, against DHOs, chasing guys off pin-downs, guarding screeners, guarding in the post. ... We’ve got to get back to playing defense. ..."

"Russ, in my opinion, he’s in great shape, he’s durable, and in this system—this four-out, one-in system—he’s gonna have a chance to screen-and-roll and make plays in the half-roll. He’s gonna have a chance to run on the break, slash and get layups. He’s gonna have a chance to spring out to the corner, flatten the defense, get corner threes as well as the things that he already does well in terms of getting the ball and pushing the pace and pushing the tempo. I’m excited as hell to have Russell Westbrook on our team."

All of that said, on a team with LeBron James, who is arguably the most gifted passer in the league, L.A. needs shooters who can fill it up from the perimeter.

Thus far, Westbrook hasn't shown that he can effectively or efficiently accomplish that task.

So how do the Lakers move forward if they can't trade Westbrook?

Most likely, they'll have to take the ball out of UCLA alum's hands and leave the primary ball-handling to James.

James can find ways to utilize Westbrook on back-cuts and rolls to the basket and get the ball to him on fast-break opportunities.

As for the wide-open shots on the perimeter, those may have to go to Austin Reaves (if he can get his shot back on track) or perhaps Cole Swider, who played well in summer league or Carmelo Anthony should he choose to rejoin the team.

No matter who gets the starting nod, though, it could mean that Westbrook sees fewer minutes on the floor, especially with the first team, in favor of possibly running the second unit.

That might not go over well with the future Hall of Fame guard, but it might be best for the team to be able to space the floor and get good open looks from the perimeter.

Still, if Westbrook can somehow find a way to become the pitbull on defense that Ham envisions, that could keep him on the floor for longer stretches, giving him more opportunities to settle in and find his way on offense.

If he can do that, he'll be able to keep his starting role and finish up his career in the famed Purple and Gold on a high note.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuJ7QctlelE

It appears the Los Angeles Lakers are interested in reuniting with a player that last suited up for the franchise in 2018.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported during a Spotify live session on Saturday (h/t Darryn Albert of Larry Brown Sports) that the Purple & Gold may pursue Julius Randle if the New York Knicks land Donovan Mitchell in a trade with the Utah Jazz this summer.

Stein added that the Lakers wouldn't mind taking on the remainder of Randle's four-year, $117 million contract. He is owed $23.7 million in 2022-23 and his salary increases each season until he becomes an unrestricted free agent in 2026.

The Lakers selected Randle seventh overall in the 2014 NBA draft. He spent the first four seasons of his career in L.A., showing improvement in each season.

During his final season with the Lakers in 2017-18, Randle averaged 16.1 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 82 games while shooting 55.8 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from deep.

After his stint with the Lakers, Randle signed a two-year deal with the New Orleans Pelicans, which included a player option for the 2019-20 campaign. He spent the 2018-19 season in New Orleans and declined his player option to become a free agent in 2019-20.

The 27-year-old went on to sign a three-year deal with the Knicks before agreeing to a four-year extension with the franchise in August 2021.

Since leaving the Lakers, Randle has improved his game in all areas. Following an All-NBA 2020-21 season, however, his numbers took a noticeable dip in 2021-22. Randle's 20.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game were all down from the prior season, and his three-point shooting plummeted to 30.8 percent.

Still, Randle heading back to L.A. appears to hinge on the Knicks acquiring Mitchell and, right now, things don't look great as talks between New York and Utah have "stalled out," according to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania.

However, the Knicks are still viewed as the top destination for Mitchell because they can offer the best package of picks and players in exchange for the veteran. So while things may appear bleak right now, they could change as we inch closer to the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign.

It appears there's only one way LeBron James will leave the Los Angeles Lakers any time soon: to team up with his son Bronny.

"The prevailing thinking in league circles holds that only the chance to play elsewhere alongside son Bronny James, who will be eligible for the 2024 draft and continues to develop as an NBA prospect, would spur LeBron to push for an L.A. exit," NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in his latest "This Week in Basketball" column.

James is set to enter the final year of his contract, and there have been rumors about his wanting to play elsewhere.

It's unclear what kind of deal James will seek. If he signs a one-year contract, he would become a free agent when Bronny is eligible to get drafted.

It wouldn't be surprising if James left the Lakers. Since he joined the franchise in 2018, the Purple and Gold have won one NBA title, posted one first-round playoff exit and missed the postseason twice.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha (h/t Orlando Silva of Fadeaway World) speculated earlier this month on The Athletic NBA Show that James could leave L.A. if the Lakers have another disappointing season in 2022-23:

"I'm gonna say [it won't be James' last season with L.A.], but I think it really depends on Russ and the season that they have. ... I think if they stand pat and basically punt on the season ... I could see him potentially leaving next offseason, but my expectation is they're gonna flip Russ at some point. And assuming they get Kyrie [Irving] or Buddy Hield or a decent package back for him, I think that's probably enough to satisfy LeBron and keep him in L.A."

James has long said he wanted to play at least one NBA season with his son Bronny. He told The Athletic's Jason Lloyd in February that he will play one year with his son.

"My last year will be played with my son," LeBron said. "Wherever Bronny is at, that's where I'll be. I would do whatever it takes to play with my son for one year. It's not about the money at that point."

Whether that comes in 2024 or later, James likely won't be a Laker by the time his career ends.

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis appears to have been paying attention to criticism from fans and analysts after he said this offseason that it had been a while since he shot a basketball.

Per NBA insider Marc Stein in his Substack newsletter, Davis has been "working out with increased diligence" amid blowback to his statement about not touching a ball since April.

Davis made his comment during a June 10 appearance on the Nuke Squad YouTube vlog.

This wasn't a total surprise since he told reporters his normal offseason routine consists of four weeks of rest after the season, six weeks of only weight training and bringing in basketball work six weeks before the start of training camp.

Lakers fans didn't take well to Davis' comments, based on some reactions from social media:

Revisionist what.

Anthony Davis has achieved nothing in his career.

1 Championship and no awards.

He wasn't even an all star at age 29. 2 years without all NBA mentions.

He is the worst shooter in the league.

4 playoff apps in 10 years.

I'm an AD fan but it's unacceptable.

— LA (@labronlandNBA) June 12, 2022

Anthony Davis going down as biggest waste of NBA talent ever

— Top Shelf (@joshpires7) June 12, 2022

Calling an eight-time All-Star who also played a significant role in the Lakers winning the 2019-20 NBA title the "biggest waste" of talent in NBA history seems like a stretch, but fans aren't unjustified in being nervous about where things stand with Davis.

The 29-year-old has missed 79 games between the regular season and playoffs over the past two seasons combined. He only played in three of the Lakers' final 24 games during the 2021-22 campaign because of a foot injury.

When Davis has been able to play, he's been terrific during that span. He has averaged 22.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game in 76 starts since the 2020-21 season.

During his first season with the Lakers in 2019-20, Davis was named to the All-NBA first team after averaging 26.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He was even better in the playoffs, scoring 27.7 points on 38.3 percent three-point shooting and had 12 double-doubles in 21 games.

They made the playoffs in 2020-21 as the No. 7 seed by defeating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, but their hopes of repeating as NBA champs ended with a first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns. A groin injury kept Davis out of Game 5 against the Suns. He attempted to play in Game 6, but only made it through five minutes before getting removed.

The Lakers finished 11th in the Western Conference last season with a 33-49 record and missed the play-in tournament. It marked the seventh time in the past nine seasons that they haven't made the playoffs. The franchise only missed the playoffs five times in its first 65 years of existence from 1948-2013.

Any expectations for the Lakers heading into the 2022-23 season will be tied to the health of Davis and LeBron James.

It's unclear if Davis' renewed commitment to putting himself in peak physical condition will help him avoid injuries, but this is at least a positive sign as the Lakers prepare for a crucial season.

LeBron James is taking his talents to NASCAR...sort of.

The LeBron James Family Foundation and the I Promise school and program will be featured on the paint scheme of Chris Buescher's No. 17 Ford Mustang as part of a partnership with Roush Fenway Keselowski (RFK) Racing. Per Molly Walsh of the Akron Beacon Journal, the car will debut at the Cup Series race at Michigan International Speedway on Aug. 7.

Pretty cool to have the @LJFamFoundation on my ride for Michigan.

The car looks fantastic! 😁 pic.twitter.com/UvOpr9XFja

— Chris Buescher (@Chris_Buescher) July 28, 2022

"To see our foundation represented alongside one of the most iconic racing teams in NASCAR shows our kids from Akron that anything is possible and nothing is out of reach for them," said Michele Campbell, who is executive director of the LeBron James Family Foundation.

According to Walsh, the I Promise program "serves more than 1,600 Akron students and their families with fundamental resources, wraparound supports and family programming with the goal of encouraging success in academics and beyond."

In addition to the "I Promise" phrase, the paint scheme will also include "est. Akron" as a nod to James' hometown and the foundation's guiding philosophy "We Are Family" on the rear of the car.

Eight-time NBA All-Star center Dwight Howard took part in WWE tryouts on Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee.

Sports reporter Arash Markazi provided footage of Howard cutting promos and noted that the longtime NBA veteran is serious about joining WWE some day.

Dwight Howard didn’t just cut this one promo and leave. He’s been here for hours. He’s now cutting promos with the other attendees at the WWE Tryout in Nashville. pic.twitter.com/J9HQQq23cN

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 28, 2022

Dwight Howard said he would like to play in the NBA next season but is ready to transition and join the WWE if that does not happen. His NBA career began in Orlando and he said he’s open to beginning his WWE career in Orlando where the WWE Performance Center is located. pic.twitter.com/VnT0bA1LCB

— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) July 28, 2022

Howard would be a late-bloomer at age 36, but being a world-class athlete who stands at 6'10" and 265 pounds certainly helps his cause even if he's spent the last 18 years playing in the NBA.

WWE is in town with SummerSlam scheduled to take place Saturday from Nashville's Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans.

Triple H, who was just named WWE's new head of creative, is on hand at the tryout from Wildhorse Saloon:

Thanks for all the birthday wishes and messages. Spent the day with the team looking for the future of @WWE!
Excited for this week of #WWETryouts … the future is bright! @WWERecruit pic.twitter.com/2DsIHTgpzH

— Triple H (@TripleH) July 27, 2022

Howard has appeared at a WWE live event before. He notably confronted Rusev and Lana at a live event in Houston in 2015, when he played for the Rockets.

The @HoustonRockets @DwightHoward heard enough Anti-America talk from @LanaWWE and @RusevBUL! #WWEHouston https://t.co/8coQ1VHzMy

— WWE (@WWE) January 19, 2015

We'll see if Howard, now an NBA free agent, parlays his tryout into something more.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

The hunt for a LeBron James Panini Flawless Triple Logoman card created a chase that seemingly only rivaled Willy Wonka.

Instead of searching for a golden ticket, collectors were seeking the one-of-one card that featured an embedded NBA logo cut from three different game-used James jerseys—one from each of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers.

It's here! The Modern Card Grail is at Goldin. pic.twitter.com/cIpO1Wd2uI

— Goldin (@GoldinCo) June 6, 2022

ESPN's Dan Hajducky and Tom VanHaaren detailed the chase for the exclusive card, which featured bounties for card breakers who found it in a box opening. Drake offered $200,000 to find the card, while others had bounties as high as $550,000.

WhatNot, a trading card marketplace, offered a Lamborghini to the person who unearthed the card.

Cases that could theoretically hold the card became extremely valuable.

"Before Drake entered, cases were about $20,000 each," collector Matt Allen told ESPN. "But when he came in, it just blew up and went crazy. It pushed Flawless cases past $40,000 each."

The card was eventually found and sold at Goldin Auctions for $2.4 million last month.

The 2022 NBA trade deadline, NBA draft and heart of free agency have all come and gone, and the Lakers still have no resolution on their Russell Westbrook problem.

There are no easy solutions, and many uneasy questions.

Should the Lakers do whatever it takes to trade him? Can they open the 2022-23 season with Westbrook in their starting lineup? How about off the bench? Or should they give him the "John Wall treatment" like last year's Houston Rockets, who paid Wall a maximum salary to sit out the season?

These questions were sent far and wide to a variety of NBA figures, from executives to agents to fellow colleagues in the media. The diversity in answers only emphasizes the quandary the Lakers face moving forward.

Trade Westbrook? At What Cost, and for Whom?

Ahead of February's trade deadline, the Lakers were looking to find Westbrook a new home. So far, they haven't found a viable solution.

L.A. has talked to teams like the Brooklyn Nets about Kyrie Irving and the Indiana Pacers for a combination of Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. As things currently stand, there's no deal to be had, though there's still plenty of time for that to change before the start of the season.

"First, I'd swing for the fences in a trade," an NBA media analyst said. "The ones I've heard for Kyrie with a shooter or Turner and Buddy seem unrealistic, but they should go for it. I'd do as many picks as needed to make a deal happen, as long as they have top-10 protection."

Should the Lakers really be giving out unprotected or lightly protected first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, years after the contracts of LeBron James and Anthony Davis expire? Is Irving—the most talented of the names mentioned—reliable enough for L.A. to rely on?

"The Lakers are pot-committed," the analyst continued, referencing a poker situation where a player lacks leverage after making aggressive early bets. "I'd do those two picks for Buddy and Turner. I like that more than Kyrie. That dude flat-out frightens me. But I'd take him over the pie-in-the-sky-let-Russ-cook option."

An NBA insider had a different (and broader) take on Irving and the Nets.

"Kyrie is the move. They should offer Davis with Westbrook. Try and get Kevin Durant. KD for AD and a pick is as close as [the Nets] will get to what they want."

That may or may not be true considering that Davis hasn't been consistently healthy, and the Boston Celtics might be able to trump a Lakers offer with Jaylen Brown as a centerpiece. An Indiana package may offer more depth, but is it enough?

"What do Buddy and Turner do for the Lakers? Add a 5 percent chance the team wins a title?" an NBA executive said. "That's probably worth one protected first, but certainly not two."

"Maybe if they could combine the Nets and Pacers into one trade, bring back Kyrie, Turner and Buddy, that'd be worth giving up a couple of firsts," the executive continued. "Even if that saved the Nets a ton of money and Indiana got two firsts out of it, do they agree to work together to help LeBron and the Lakers contend?"

Meanwhile, an NBA agent suggested the Lakers should be patient in trading Westbrook.

"He'll become easier to trade closer to the deadline [with the Lakers responsible for more than half of his 2022-23 salary]. That's a lot less money for an owner to spend on," the agent said. "Teams are more realistic on where they stand at that point. Other players become unhappy. Some may become available that [simply] aren't right now."

An NBA source also took a relatively conservative approach.

"I'd be willing to trade him for multiple role players and put one of the picks on the table," the source said. "If you want both picks, it has to be for something more exciting than just a couple of rotation guys who probably don't move the needle for title contention. What about [the Utah Jazz] for Mike Conley and Bojan [Bogdanovic]? Send Westbrook and one of the picks. They're useful and potentially cheaper to get because of slightly negative-value contracts."

Start, Bench or 'John Wall' Westbrook?

Once again, opinions were varied.

"If they come up with nothing in trade, they need to shoot for the moon by trying to have success with Russ," the NBA media analyst said. "It's not like they have young guys that need experience that he's blocking."

"Russ off the bench, maybe in a perfect world, but with pride and ego and role—I don't know if that really helps much, either," the analyst continued. "Try to sell LeBron on playing the Miami Heat role of off-ball finisher when he was shooting like 60 percent from the field. Start Russ and let him do Russ things with LeBron and AD playing off of him for the first 18 minutes of each half. Crunch time, Russ sits, and LeBron runs the show."

The agent had the opposite take.

"They're better without Russ, and he won't come off the bench. Good luck with that. He's going to b---h and moan. He thinks he's the Russ of old," the agent said. "'John Wall' him and take time... to know what they need before jumping in. The team can't lose this trade, and everyone knows it. Trading just to trade is an awful mentality."

The league source doesn't buy it.

"I wouldn't John Wall him. The Lakers care about titles. This team without Westbrook is going nowhere unless things got so bad that he was actively undermining stuff," the league source said. "Stagger him and LeBron as much as possible. If he's washed, then that's a different issue. But part of the problem is that a tentative Westbrook is like the worst player ever. You have to figure out some way to empower him without indulging his worst habits."

If the Lakers cannot move Westbrook before the season, they might be best off starting him. It's worth seeing what head coach Darvin Ham can do with the roster as constructed.

If Westbrook becomes a problem during the season, the Lakers could send him away until the trade deadline or cut him loose afterward if they don't find a deal.

The various takes would have fallen in line if the path were obvious. It isn't. But this is where the Lakers stand with two months to go before training camp opens in late September.

Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.

The Los Angeles Lakers' starting five for the 2022-23 campaign is far from set, and it appears they have a certain style of player they'd like to start at the wing and guard spots, per The Athletic's Jovan Buha.

"The Lakers are looking to start whichever wing/guard can make threes and defend at the point of attack at the highest level on the roster, according to league sources," Buha wrote. "The player that stands out in training camp and the preseason will be the favorite for the job."

The only true givens in L.A.'s starting five are LeBron James and Anthony Davis. It's reasonable to believe Russell Westbrook will start, but that depends on whether he's traded.

It's no surprise that the Purple and Gold are looking for a combination of perimeter shooting and defense. Buha previously reported in June that the Lakers were targeting two-way wings in free agency:

"With free agency less than 48 hours away, the Lakers are focusing on two-way wings, according to league sources. Most of the hypothetical scenarios for their taxpayer midlevel exception have been centered on signing a wing or two who could come in and start next to [LeBron] James and [Anthony] Davis."

L.A. had limited salary-cap space this summer to go out and make some bigger moves to improve its three-point shooting and defense in free agency. Westbrook's $47 million 2022-23 salary is hindering the franchise, hence why it is reportedly trying to move him following an abysmal 2021-22 campaign.

The Lakers went out this summer and signed Lonnie Walker IV and Troy Brown Jr. However, Walker's three-point shooting regressed to 31.4 percent last season. And while Brown has solid three-and-D potential, he has shot just 33.7 percent from deep over his four-year career.

Kendrick Nunn is currently the only player on L.A.'s roster who has shot better than 36 percent over his career, which is not ideal.

The Lakers did improve their three-point shooting and defensive versatility through the 2022 NBA draft by selecting Michigan State's Max Christie, but he's far from seeing playing time at the NBA level.

L.A. had the ninth-worst three-point percentage in the NBA last season at 34.7 percent. It also had the 10th-worst defensive rating in the league at 112.8, per NBA.com.

If the franchise could get out from underneath Westbrook's contract, many of its problems could be solved. However, it's seeming more and more likely that the veteran point guard remains on the roster to open the season.

All of that said, it's no surprise there could be a little competition among the players for the remaining starting positions.