Los Angeles Lakers

It's been a summer filled with trade rumors for the Los Angeles Lakers. While nothing has materialized yet, it seems almost inevitable they will make a move before the start of the 2022-23 NBA season.

However, it remains unclear which potential trade is most likely. Will the Lakers land Kyrie Irving from the Brooklyn Nets? Could they part with Russell Westbrook? How likely is it they'll work out a move with the Indiana Pacers?

That last situation seems probable, whether Westbrook is involved or not. According to NBA reporter Marc Stein (h/t HoopsHype), L.A. and the Pacers continue to have discussions about trades that could be worked out between the two teams.

There have been rumors of the Lakers acquiring Buddy Hield and/or Myles Turner from Indiana. But Stein noted one roadblock in a trade that would include both is that the Pacers "would be expected to buy Westbrook out."

Stein called that "another likely obstacle because buying out such a big salary is hardly the norm for Pacers owner Herb Simon."

So, that may rule out the Lakers landing both Hield and Turner. But perhaps they could make a move for the former, without needing to get Westbrook involved.

"It is likewise believed that the teams have discussed a deal focused on Hield, without Turner involved, that would still require the Lakers to furnish draft compensation to Indiana’s liking as part of a package centered around Talen Horton-Tucker," Stein wrote.

Hield is the type of veteran outside shooter Los Angeles could greatly use on the wing. The 29-year-old has a skill set that's quite different from many of the players currently on its roster.

So that's why Los Angeles should be willing to part with a sizable package of assets in order to prize Hield from Indiana, even if that marks the end of Horton-Tucker's time with the Lakers.

It could come down to the draft capital Los Angeles would have to move. And it may have to send a decent number of picks in exchange for even just Hield.

The Lakers may not want to send the Pacers too many selections, but Stein reported they "have made one of their two future first-round picks available in combination with multiple (likely two) second-rounders."

Is Horton-Tucker, a first-round selection and two second-rounders too much? It doesn't seem like it, especially with L.A. wanting to capitalize on having both LeBron James and Anthony Davis on its roster.

Hield would boost the Lakers' starting rotation, and he would complement their stars well. So if they need to assemble that type of offer in order to get him, that's what they should do this summer.

In that scenario, Westbrook could be staying in Los Angeles, and perhaps he'll prove he's capable of a bounce-back season. It's worth seeing how a starting lineup featuring Hield and the star trio could fare, and such a situation just may be coming to fruition down the line.

Rasheed Wallace no longer plans to join the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff under Darvin Ham, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania previously reported in June that Wallace had agreed to the role.

Ham, who is heading into his first year as head coach of the Lakers, was teammates with Wallace for two seasons with the Detroit Pistons. They both played for the 2003-04 team that won the NBA title by beating the Lakers in the Finals.

Wallace was a four-time All-Star during his 16-year NBA career, mostly starring for the Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers while appearing for six different organizations in total.

The 47-year-old spent one season as an assistant for the Pistons after his playing career, and he served as an assistant coach at the University of Memphis last year under Penny Hardaway.

Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett recently praised Wallace as "a genius and a mastermind" who would have helped Anthony Davis and LeBron James as an assistant coach.

Los Angeles must now find someone else who can help turn things around after a disappointing 33-49 season.

The Utah Jazz, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers are reportedly among the teams that have discussed trading for Russell Westbrook.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported there is "no deal imminent in those conversations" with the Los Angeles Lakers. It's likely the Lakers will have to watch the rest of the market play out—most notably Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell—before finding a taker for the 2017 NBA MVP.

For all of the public talk about the Lakers and Westbrook finding a way to make things work, it's clear the team plans to continue exploring every possible avenue for a trade. The Lakers' dream scenario would be finding a way to add Kyrie Irving, but that would undoubtedly require a third team to take on the final year of Westbrook's contract and potentially supply the Brooklyn Nets with a desirable veteran presence.

The Knicks seem like an overwhelmingly unlikely landing spot for Westbrook. They are heavily involved in Mitchell trade talks and almost certainly would not want to make any move that would jeopardize their chances at landing the three-time All-Star. New York would make some level of sense as a third team in talks should Mitchell wind up traded elsewhere.

The Jazz and Pacers have players that could entice the Lakers should the Irving pursuit fall through and motivation to make a move. Utah could construct a trade around Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic for Westbrook and a first-round pick. Indiana's potential offer of Buddy Hield and Myles Turner could be more tantalizing for the Lakers but would almost certainly require a second first-round pick be added by Los Angeles.

What's abundantly clear is that the Lakers' 2022-23 roster is far from finished. Their moves this offseason have been entirely on the margins, adding Lonnie Walker IV along with a group of minimum-contract players (Damian Jones, Troy Brown Jr., Juan Toscano-Anderson, Thomas Bryant). None of those players are good enough to turn around a 33-win team from a year ago.

The Lakers need to find a way to flip Westbrook's contract into a disgruntled star like Irving—realistically their only chance to have a legitimate Big Three—or role players who fit better next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Slava Medvedenko is doing what he can to help his home country of Ukraine amid attacks from Russia.

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN) reported the 43-year-old is auctioning the two championship rings he won as a member of the Purple and Gold, and the proceeds will go toward restoring sports infrastructure inside the country's schools.

"We want to restore gyms because the Russian army bombed more than a hundred schools," he said. "Our country, they need a lot of money to fix the schools. Sports gyms are going to be last in the line to fix it. In Ukraine, we have winter and kids need to play inside."

The rings, which he said he decided to sell when he saw rockets launched by Russia while in his Kyiv neighborhood, are expected to raise at least $100,000.

"In this moment I just decided, 'Why do I need these rings if they're just sitting in my safe?'" Medvedenko said. "I just recognize I can die. After that, I just say I have to sell them to show people leadership, to help my Ukrainian people to live better, to help kids."

Medvedenko also hosted a charity basketball game in Poland to raise money for Ukrainian refugees and has served in territorial defense forces during the war.

He played for the Lakers for six seasons from 2000-01 through 2005-06, winning the two rings in his first two seasons. The final season of his NBA career came in 2006-07 when he suited up for the Atlanta Hawks.

Amid recent comments from his former agent about needing to accept a different role for the benefit of his career, Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook apparently had several people trying to get him to change his game during the 2021-22 season.

On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective (h/t RealGM.com), ESPN's Brian Windhorst noted the Lakers tried to use everyone they could to get through to Westbrook.

"I was talking to somebody who was with the Lakers last season and they were saying that if there's a person in the organization that Russ could listen to, they tried to talk to him," said Windhorst. "From what I'm told, just everybody there who Russ would allow an audience for [talked to him]."

There were reports during the season that Westbrook didn't take to playing for head coach Frank Vogel.

One member of the Lakers staff told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times in April that Westbrook "never respected" Vogel from the time he was traded to the Lakers:

"The moment Frank said anybody who gets the rebound can bring it up the court, which is just how the NBA is played these days, Russ was like, 'Naw, I'm the point guard. Give the ball to me. Everybody run.' Frank was like, 'No, we have Talen [Horton-Tucker)] We have Austin [Reaves]. We have Malik. We have LeBron. We have AD. They can all bring the ball up.' He was like, 'Nope, I'm the point guard. Give me that s--t. Everybody get out the way.'"

Thad Foucher, Westbrook's agent for 14 years, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on July 15 that the two parted ways because of "irreconcilable differences."

In his statement to Wojnarowski, Foucher said the possibility of the nine-time All-Star being traded for the fourth time in the past four years "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."

Ham, the new Lakers head coach, told Marc J. Spears of Andscape earlier this month he has a plan to use Westbrook this season.

Of course, the plan depends on Westbrook still being in Los Angeles. That is still very much up in the air, though at the moment it seems like a strong possibility.

The Athletic's Bob Kravitz reported Friday that talks between the Lakers and Indiana Pacers about a trade package involving Westbrook "is currently dead" because the Lakers don't want to include an additional first-round draft pick.

NBA insider Marc Stein reported earlier this week on his Substack newsletter (h/t All Lakers' Adam Salcido) that the Lakers prefer a trade for Kyrie Irving, but the Brooklyn Nets want to figure things out with Kevin Durant before doing anything with Irving.

Stein also noted the Nets "have expressed great reluctance" in doing a deal with the Lakers unless a third team is involved that is willing to take Westbrook's $47.1 million expiring contract that Brooklyn doesn't want.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game in 78 starts last season. The 33-year-old shot 44.4 percent from the field and 29.8 percent from three-point range.

Trade talks between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers featuring Russell Westbrook, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield are reportedly "dead."

Bob Kravitz of The Athletic reported the update Friday, noting the discussions reached a "standstill" and will only be revived if the Lakers are willing to add a second first-round draft pick to their offer.

It's much the same story that's been painted about other Westbrook trade rumors as of late.

Last week, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported conversations between the Lakers and Brooklyn Nets centered around the 2016-17 NBA MVP and Kyrie Irving also stalled because of L.A.'s reluctance to include more than a single first-rounder.

The expectation in that case is it would take one first to the Nets and another to an organization willing to take on the final season of the Lakers guard's five-year, $206.8 million contract as part of a three-team swap, per Scotto.

One way or another, it sounds like L.A. has two choices: trade two first-round selections or go into another campaign with a core trio of Westbrook, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

The latter route seems ripe for disaster as the Lakers attempt to bounce back from a nightmarish, injury-riddled 2021-22 season where they missed the playoffs with a 33-49 record.

Westbrook and James both attended a recent NBA Summer League game but made headlines for making no effort to communicate amid the trade speculation.

With LeBron a potential free agent after the upcoming season, the Lakers are likely staring down a situation where they must appease him and attempt to move back toward title contention or face the reality of a potentially painful rebuild beginning next summer.

The proposed Pacers trade made a ton of theoretical sense. The arrival of Turner would allow Davis to play his preferred role at the 4 rather than logging a lot of key minutes at center, while Hield could bring a much-needed outside shooting boost to the roster.

James would serve as the de facto point guard of a lineup also featuring Davis, Turner, Hield and Talen Horton-Tucker or Kendrick Nunn. Lonnie Walker IV and Austin Reaves would lead the reserve group.

Whether that would be enough to get the Lakers back to the championship level they reached in 2020 is up for debate, but it would at least represent a fresh outlook after last season's disaster.

In the end, it would be a surprise if L.A. allows one first-round pick to prevent it from making significant roster changes before the new campaign gets underway in October despite the resistance so far.

LeBron James' Uninterrupted, Inc. filed a request with the United States Trademark and Patent Office to trademark the phrase "shut up and dribble," per Scooby Axson of USA Today.

James' connection to the phrase dates back to the comments Fox News personality Laura Ingraham made about athletes like James and Kevin Durant expressing opinions on political and social issues in 2018.

Per the trademark request, the phrase would be used on "downloadable virtual goods, namely, computer programs featuring footwear, clothing, headwear, eyewear, bags, sports bags, backpacks, sports equipment, art, toys and accessories for use online and in online virtual worlds."

The request also lists social media posts, videogames and other forms of entertainment as possible uses for the phrase.

The Dallas Mavericks aren't expected to be a suitor for Russell Westbrook, either as trade partners or in a free-agent signing, if the 33-year-old is bought out this year.

"So you guys told me that you heard [Dallas might be a fit for Westbrook] and I checked in. I got a very quick, 'Hell no,'" ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on Friday's The Hoop Collective (49:25 mark).

Whether Westbrook will be traded this summer, and where he ends up, remains one of the major storylines of the NBA offseason, alongside the future destinations for players like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Donovan Mitchell.

Westbrook had a disastrous first year with the Lakers, averaging 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists while shooting just 44.4 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from the free-throw line and 29.8 percent from three.

His inability to space the floor off the ball, his poor defense and his struggles fitting in with LeBron James and Anthony Davis—and his inability to carry the Lakers' offense when that pair was out injured—played a major part in the team's 33-49 record and lackluster overall season.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported on Monday that James, Davis and 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."

But Westbrook's longtime and now-former agent, Wasserman's Thad Foucher, suggested after the sides parted ways that Westbrook wanted to move on from the Lakers, while he thought the veteran point guard should try to make it work for one more season in Los Angeles.

Given that Westbrook is set to make $47 million this upcoming season, a trade won't be simple.

As for the Mavericks, the team did lose impactful point guard Jalen Brunson to the New York Knicks in free agency this summer, but it's hard to see how a ball-dominant player like Westbrook would fit next to ball-dominant superstar Luka Doncic.

Westbrook struggled alongside James. Playing off the ball in Dallas while Doncic works his magic seems like an arguably worse fit, even if Westbrook eventually becomes available on the buyout market.

A 33-49 record wasn't the desired record when the Los Angeles Lakers centered their roster around the trio of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook last offseason. They had championship aspirations, then missed the playoffs during the 2021-22 season.

It's sparked an offseason filled with rumors and trade buzz. Is Westbrook done in Los Angeles after one season? Will the Lakers trade for Kyrie Irving to replace him? Could they go with a lineup that features neither Westbrook nor Irving?

Nobody knows what Los Angeles is going to do, especially with more than two months to go before the 2022-23 season. There's plenty of time for the Lakers to continue to make moves, especially considering they haven't made any major ones thus far.

In the meantime, Los Angeles' players appear to be focused on what they can control: internal improvement. And that includes the core of James, Davis and Westbrook, who appear to be feeling the same way about being focused on moving on from a disappointing season.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, James, Davis and Westbrook "huddled up on a phone conversation" during the opening weekend of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas with "each expressing their commitment to one another and vowing to make it work."

That includes Westbrook, who came to Los Angeles from the Washington Wizards in a four-team trade last August and is preparing for his second season with the Lakers. At least for now.

"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," Haynes wrote. "Westbrook has never requested a trade from the Lakers, sources said."

If this trio didn't work last season, why would it work this time? Well, there are reasons to believe that James, Davis and Westbrook could still combine to lead Los Angeles to success, even if the 2021-22 campaign was mostly a failure.

For one, the Lakers dealt with plenty of injuries last season, which greatly decreased the amount of time their three stars were on the court together. Westbrook played 78 games, but James (56) and Davis (40) got hurt and struggled to get back to full strength.

It can take some time for a new lineup to jell, and this one just didn't get enough opportunities to do that. If everybody can stay healthy during the upcoming season, things might click a lot better.

The Lakers also need to surround their superstar trio with the right types of players, specifically strong shooters. Westbrook and James are going to score a lot and can both handle the ball, but they shot 29.8 percent and 35.9 percent from three-point range, respectively, last season.

Los Angeles needs to have a wing player or two who can shoot from long range at a high rate, even if they're coming off the bench and not in the starting lineup. That's an area the Lakers could still greatly improve before the end of the offseason.

Even if Los Angeles doesn't make huge overarching changes to its roster from last season, it should be encouraging to fans that it seems James, Davis and Westbrook are on the same wavelength. That could set them up for better results moving forward, as team chemistry is an important aspect of successful NBA teams.

So if the Lakers keep the core together and give this trio another opportunity, it could yield positive results. Because each of these three stars is still playing at a high level and can keep learning how to play well as a collective unit.