Los Angeles Lakers

Amid their recent struggles on the court, the Los Angeles Lakers are also dealing with intense speculation about their roster leading up to the trade deadline. 

After Wednesday's 107-105 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, LeBron James told reporters Thursday's deadline is like "fog in the air" that everyone on the team is trying to get through. 

Having lost 11 of their past 16 games, the Lakers could certainly use help ahead of the trade deadline if they want to be a serious playoff contender in the Western Conference. 

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported after Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks that people within the Lakers locker room admitted their "roster is not working, and something must be done to get the team back on course" before the trade deadline. 

As for what things Los Angeles general manager Rob Pelinka might be able to do, that's unclear at this point. 

Per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Lakers have had talks with the New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors about a three-team trade that would send Cam Reddish and Alec Burks to Los Angeles. 

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported on Wednesday's episode of NBA Today that the Lakers are telling teams they won't include their 2027 first-round draft pick in any deal. 

Los Angeles doesn't own its own first-round pick until 2027 because of compensation given to the New Orleans Pelicans from the Anthony Davis trade. 

Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus reported the Lakers are "unlikely" to trade Russell Westbrook by the deadline unless James "decides that fellow Klutch Sports client John Wall could be a better fit and is willing to push extremely hard for Westbrook’s exit" to negotiate a deal with the Houston Rockets. 

Westbrook, who was benched in the fourth quarter of games against the New York Knicks and Bucks, didn't play against the Blazers. He is averaging 10.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game with a 27.5 field-goal percentage in his last four games. 

The Lakers are four games under .500 (26-30) for the first time since the end of the 2018-19 season when they missed the playoffs. They are ninth in the Western Conference standings, one game behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 8 seed.     

The Portland Trail Blazers ended a six-game losing streak with a 107-105 win at home over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday. Anfernee Simons led the way with 29 points as Portland improved to 22-34.

The win also ended a five-game home losing streak for the Blazers. It was a revenge win for Portland, which had lost to Los Angeles less than a week ago on Feb. 2.

The Lakers fell to 26-30 after their fifth consecutive road loss and sixth loss in their last eight games. LeBron James led the team with 30 points.

Los Angeles point guard Russell Westbrook sat out his first game of the year as he was a late scratch due to lower back tightness.

Notable Stats

G Anfernee Simons, POR: 29 points (25 in 2nd half)

C Jusuf Nurkic, POR: 19 points, 12 rebounds

F LeBron James, LAL: 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists

F Anthony Davis, LAL: 17 points, 5 blocks

Shorthanded Blazers Fight Back with Spirited Second-Half Effort

After shooting 1-of-13 from three-point range in the first two quarters, things looked bleak for Portland. But the Blazers woke up after halftime and scrapped to secure a win over a veteran Lakers team.

Simons went off for 15 points in the third quarter to help erase a seven-point halftime deficit and make it a two-point deficit heading into the fourth. Once the game was back in reach, the Blazers took advantage of mistakes to pull in front.

Portland went ahead in the fourth quarter by relying on their youthful energy, scoring 14 fast break points in the final frame. The Blazers connected on five three-pointers to answer every run by the Lakers. 

Quite simply, the young Blazers outworked their opponents. Portland turned 21 Los Angeles turnovers into 28 points. The Blazers had 28 fast break points to the Lakers' four. They also outscored Los Angeles in the paint 58-40.

After tearing down its roster with trades this week, Portland is a rebuilding team that is obviously preparing for the future. Nonetheless, Wednesday's win showed that the Blazers have the right spirit to compete against anyone.

Lakers' Strong Shooting Erased by Sloppy Turnovers, Weak Defense

Los Angeles had a rough shooting night from beyond the arc on Tuesday against the Bucks, connecting on just 10 of their 32 three-point attempts (31.8 percent). But the Lakers didn't allow that to discourage them, and they came out firing on Wednesday.

Led by Talen Horton-Tucker off the bench, Los Angeles sank nine triples in the second quarter and 11-of-20 in the first half. Horton-Tucker scored 11 of his 14 points in the second frame.

But the team's strong shooting was in vain because the Lakers played a sloppy game otherwise and allowed a shorthanded Blazers team to hang around thanks to careless turnovers. Los Angeles had 10 giveaways in the first half alone and followed with 11 in the second half.

The Lakers have struggled on defense throughout the year, but Wednesday's uninspired effort has to be disheartening. Los Angeles got pushed around inside and allowed Portland to score 58 points in the paint.

A loss to a young, rebuilding Portland team was yet another example of the Lakers' shortcomings this season. Even when the team finishes with 17 three-pointers, the Lakers failed to keep up with teams that out-hustle them.

Changes need to be made if the Lakers want to compete for an NBA title this season. At this point, Los Angeles is looking more like a team that will be competing for a spot in the play-in tournament.

What's Next?

The Blazers will enjoy a couple days off before hosting the New York Knicks on Saturday in the final matchup of a five-game homestand. The Lakers will return to action that same day in a road tilt against the Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook will miss Wednesday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers because of lower back tightness, marking the first game he has missed this season.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported details about Westbrook's back injury:

On a positive note, LeBron James (knee) and Dwight Howard (back) will both be available for the game.

Westbrook's absence comes just one day after he played just 26 minutes in a 131-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. After having gone 3-of-11 and committing four turnovers, Westbrook was subbed out at the 2:34 mark of the third quarter and did not reenter the game after that.

After the game, he told reporters he had "earned a right to be in closing lineups."

One day later, he will be out of the lineup as he deals with an injury.

Westbrook was placed in the league's health and safety protocols earlier this season but has played at least 57 games every campaign since 2013-14.

When healthy, he is one of the league's best stat-sheet stuffers who is a triple-double threat every time he steps on the floor. He is averaging 18.3 points, 7.6 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game in his first season with the Lakers, who acquired him from the Washington Wizards via trade during the past offseason.

The UCLA product has a Hall of Fame-caliber resume that includes a league MVP, two scoring titles, three assist titles, nine All-NBA selections and nine All-Star nods.

While Westbrook is sidelined following this setback, look for the combination of Austin Reaves and Avery Bradley to see more time.

The Russell Westbrook and Los Angeles Lakers marriage has been anything but a success this season, but the Purple and Gold are reportedly unwilling to sweeten any deal involving the point guard with one of their most valuable future assets.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Los Angeles does not want to include its 2027 first-round pick along with Westbrook with Thursday's trade deadline approaching.

The notion the Lakers will be hesitant to trade that first-rounder is not a new one, as NBA insider Marc Stein reported in January they did not want to include it in a possible Westbrook-for-John-Wall trade with the Houston Rockets.

Still, it is notable the hesitation in moving Westbrook at least partially comes in the form of a draft pick five years into the future instead of the idea of trading a nine-time All-Star with a league MVP on his resume.

It underscores the reality that the trade that sent Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and a first-round pick to the Washington Wizards for Westbrook and two future second-round picks hasn't worked out for Los Angeles.

There is no doubting Westbrook's career achievements. In addition to the above accolades, he has two scoring titles, three assist titles and a spot on the league's 75th anniversary team, but he has not been an ideal fit on this Lakers roster.

His 18.3 points per game would be his lowest mark since his second season in 2009-10, and he is shooting an ugly 29.8 percent from deep while turning it over 4.1 times per night. His inability to hit from outside doesn't play well alongside the ball-dominant LeBron James, and it has reached the point where he isn't even always on the floor in crunch time.

Westbrook turned heads after Tuesday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks when he told reporters he has "earned a right" to be on the floor in such moments.

"I shouldn't have to hit any benchmark, to be honest," he said. "I've put a lot of work and I've got a lot of respect in this game. I don't got to hit a benchmark, or I shouldn't have to. I've earned a right to be in closing lineups."

The Lakers came into the season with championship-or-bust expectations, but they are below .500 at 26-29 and holding on to the No. 9 seed and a projected spot in the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

There will not be any deep playoff run without some roster changes, but it seems a future pick is one reason the Lakers might not move Westbrook.                

Many outsiders have expressed reservations about the Los Angeles Lakers as currently constructed. Now, that skepticism may have spread to the team itself.

The Athletic's Bill Oram reported Wednesday the Lakers "no longer believe they can win at a high level" while building around a Big Three of LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, with Westbrook the one piece that doesn't fit.

Whereas Los Angeles thought it might be able to make it until the end of the season to execute another major roster shakeup, a 131-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday has made the team reconsider that stance, per Oram:

"Could things be so dire that the Lakers would be better off including that ’27 pick in a swap now — say for Houston’s John Wall? — even if it means a lesser return? Desperation got the Lakers into this mess and it might take desperation to get them out. ... One Lakers staffer who had reservations about the trade when it was made in July recently told The Athletic, 'I didn’t think it would be this bad.'"

ESPN's Dave McMenamin filed a similar report following the Bucks loss, writing that "suspicion had been mounting for weeks, if not months, for a Lakers team built with a title in mind."

"While Los Angeles is 10-8 in those games [that all three of James, Davis and Westbrook have played together], standing pat and hoping that winning percentage improves to finish the season strong is not seen as a viable option by players on the team, sources told ESPN," per McMenamin.

However, the Lakers painted themselves into a corner with the Westbrook deal.

General manager Rob Pelinka exhausted almost all of his remaining trade assets to get the nine-time All-Star. In the event things went wrong—as they are right now—pivoting in another direction would be difficult.

Los Angeles isn't helped by the fact Talen Horton-Tucker isn't going above and beyond this season. He's averaging 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. The 21-year-old isn't going to be the centerpiece of a deal for a marquee star.

Kendrick Nunn has yet to play for L.A. because of a bone bruise in his knee. He suffered a setback during his recovery in January. 

Aside from making yet another gamble on a potentially past-his-prime star on a bad contract—Wall is the most obvious example—it's hard to see how the Lakers can shift Westbrook on to another team.

The exchange for signing James is that a front office has to approach every offseason with a win-now mindset and effectively appease the four-time MVP by surrounding him with a roster he wants.

McMenamin (h/t Jacob Rude of Silver Screen & Roll) reported in August that James preferred landing Westbrook over Buddy Hield, who's three-point shooting might have made him a better fit in the rotation.

Just as the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers discovered, the Lakers are finding out how the bill inevitably comes due when you make a series of shortsighted moves in order to capitalize on James' presence.

Coming off a blowout loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly feeling a sense of urgency ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline. 

Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, there was an admission in the Lakers locker room that this "roster is not working, and something must be done to get the team back on course with Thursday's trade deadline fast approaching."

The Lakers' 131-116 loss to Milwaukee was their 10th in the past 15 games. Their 26-29 record ranks ninth in the Western Conference, 4.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets in the No. 6 seed to avoid the play-in tournament. 

Los Angeles has been mentioned in trade rumors as much as any team leading up to the deadline, but it remains to be seen if general manager Rob Pelinka can find a deal that improves the roster. 

The Athletic's Jovan Buha and Bill Oram reported the "most likely outcome for the Lakers is that they stand pat" primarily because their cap sheet "is full of maximum and minimum players—contracts that are challenging to move."

Talen Horton-Tucker and Kendrick Nunn are the likeliest trade candidates for the Lakers because of their contracts. They are making a combined $14.5 million this season, per Spotrac.

According to Buha and Oram, one potential scenario for the Lakers is trading Horton-Tucker and/or Nunn for "a more impactful two-way player" before the deadline. 

Per B/R's Jake Fischer, Los Angeles is one of several teams that has been linked to Boston Celtics guard Josh Richardson.

Tensions seem to be at a boiling point for the Lakers. After head coach Frank Vogel benched him in the fourth quarter against Milwaukee, point guard Russell Westbrook said he "shouldn't have to" earn minutes in closing lineups. 

Westbrook didn't play the final 14:34 of the game after being pulled late in the third quarter. He scored 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting with 10 rebounds, five assists and four turnovers in 26 minutes. 

LeBron James offered a blunt assessment about where the team stands in relation to the Bucks after the game. 

"It tells me we ain't on their level," James told reporters. "I mean, I could have told you that before the game."

Pelinka and his staff have until Thursday at 3 p.m. ET to find a trade that might help turn the season.    

LeBron James will reportedly have a say in any moves the Los Angeles Lakers make before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, James was consulted about the trades and signings the Lakers made during the offseason, including the acquisition of Russell Westbrook. That will reportedly continue with LeBron and general manager Rob Pelinka collaborating leading up to the deadline.

The Lakers figure to explore multiple avenues to improve, as they are a disappointing 26-29 this season, which places them ninth in the Western Conference.

Per McMenamin, those within the Lakers locker room have come to the realization that their roster is not working as currently constructed, which is a suspicion that was "mounting for weeks, if not months."

The Lakers finally have both James and Davis back in the fold after both missed significant time due to injury this season, but it hasn't led to consistent wins.

Off a three-game losing streak, the Lakers are 2-2 in their past four games, including a 131-116 home loss to the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Following the defeat to Milwaukee, James admitted that the Lakers "ain't on their level."

Still, the Lakers have a chance to be a dangerous team in the Western Conference come playoff time provided they make it to the postseason. The mere presence of James and Davis gives them a chance to beat anyone on any night.

The rest of the roster leaves something to be desired, however, including Westbrook's status as a starter.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel benched Westbrook during the fourth quarter Tuesday, after which L.A. cut the lead to 10 at one point before the Bucks pulled away.

Westbrook is the only player to appear in all 55 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.6 assists.

While the surface numbers look good, the one-time NBA MVP is shooting just 43.5 percent from the field, 29.8 percent from beyond the arc and 66.5 percent from the free-throw line, and he is turning the ball over 4.1 times per game and has been a defensive liability at times.

It is highly unlikely any team will take Westbrook off the Lakers' hands at the deadline since he makes over $44 million this season and has a $47 million player option for next season.

Because of that, the Lakers will have to use other assets to improve the roster, and they may need to cut down Westbrook's minutes significantly moving forward.

The Lakers have a lot of needs heading toward the deadline, but given how Westbrook has played, a point guard who can mesh with James and Davis may be the biggest item on their wish list.

Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook said he's "earned a right" to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in crunch time.

Westbrook was subbed out of Tuesday night's 131-116 home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks with just over two minutes left in the third quarter and never returned. It's become common for Lakers head coach Frank Vogel to leave him on the bench in key moments.

"I shouldn't have to hit any benchmark, to be honest," Westbrook told reporters. "I've put a lot of work and I've got a lot of respect in this game. I don't got to hit a benchmark, or I shouldn't have to. I've earned a right to be in closing lineups."

The nine-time All-Star certainly owns a strong resume, highlighted by the 2016-17 NBA MVP Award and the most triple-doubles in league history, but his arrival to L.A. in a blockbuster offseason trade hasn't produced the desired results.

Westbrook has averaged 18.3 points, his lowest total since 2009-10 with the Oklahoma City Thunder, while shooting 43.5 percent from the field, including 29.8 percent on threes. He's also tallying 4.1 turnovers and 3.0 fouls per contest.

The 33-year-old UCLA product made just three of his 11 shots from the field and turned the ball over four times in 26 minutes during Tuesday's loss to the Bucks before getting benched.

James delivered a blunt assessment of where the Lakers (26-29) stand after falling short against the reigning NBA champions, a potential signal to the front office that changes are necessary ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.

"It tells me we ain't on their level," James said. "I mean, I could have told you that before the game."

All the comments came after an interaction between Los Angeles' trio of superstars late in the game where it appeared Westbrook was trying unsuccessfully to lighten the mood:

"I told them I wished I could help them," Westbrook said about that interaction. "But I wasn't in the game to help them out... But that's not my call."

Whether it's possible for the Lakers to make a season-altering trade over the next few days is unclear, but finding a taker for Westbrook would likely be difficult given his $47.1 million player option for next season as part of his five-year, $206.8 million contract.

Neither James nor Davis will be on the move, so that leaves a limited number of assets that could potentially bring in a marquee addition. L.A. may have to wait to see whether any impact players land in free agency via buyouts after the deadline for possible upgrades.