Lakers Rumors: Westbrook, Harden, Kobe

Earlier today, we learned that Greg Monroe is slated to meet with four teams this summer, including the Lakers.  Monroe, who is looking for a two-year deal with an option, says he wants to play for a playoff-caliber team.  The Lakers will try and convince Monroe that they are ready to win in 2015/16 as they duke it out with the Knicks, Bucks, and Trail Blazers.  Here’s the latest out of L.A…

• The Lakers are working to unload contracts to create significantly more salary cap space, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
• An executive, presumably from another NBA team, who spoke with Baxter Holmes and Larry Coon of ESPN.com expects that former Thunder teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden will join the Lakers when they both become free to do so. That won’t be for a while, since Westbrook has two more years left on his deal and Harden has three remaining on his.
• Kobe Bryant is expected to take part in the Lakers’ pitch meeting with LaMarcus Aldridge tonight, according to Sam Amick of USA Today Sports (on Twitter).  Kobe’s inclusion is not definite, he adds, but it is part of the plan at this time.  In a full article, Amick says the meeting is also expected to include team president and governor Jeanie Buss, GM Mitch Kupchak, assistant general manager Glenn Carraro, coach Byron Scott, senior vice president of finance Tim Harris, as well as representatives from Time Warner Cable and AEG.
• Magic Johnson, meanwhile, won’t be around for the Lakers’ initial free agent pitches, as Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News writes.  Magic is currently on vacation in Europe and it’s unclear when he’ll return.