While many Lakers fans hope they’ve seen the last of Russell Westbrook in a Los Angeles uniform, the front office is proceeding as if Westbrook will remain a part of the team.
Head coaching candidates that the Lakers have interviewed have been asked to discuss how they would use the enigmatic point guard in their system, Sam Amick of The Athletic reports. It appears that maximizing Westbrook’s impact after his disastrous 2021/22 season is considered an important part of the job, Amick adds.
This could be an indication of Phil Jackson’s input on the Lakers’ search, since Jackson is known to have an affinity for Westbrook.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- In the same story, Amick writes that Kings general manager Monte McNair is entering the final season of his contract and there have been no talks about a possible extension. That leads to an awkward situation with their new coach, Mike Brown, having a significantly longer deal (four years) than the GM who played a major role in hiring him. McNair’s contract status was a concern for some of the coaching candidates Sacramento interviewed, Amick adds.
- Among the priorities that the Kings established before hiring Brown was that the new coach would retain Doug Christie on the staff, Marc Stein reports in a Substack article. Sacramento is also hoping for an improvement mirroring the Timberwolves’ success with their young core to end a league-record 16-season playoff drought.
- Klutch Sports has many high-profile athletes as clients — they’ve also got another prominent coach now in the Clippers‘ Tyronn Lue. He’s signed up with the agency, Klutch tweets.
Let’s solve world problems here:
Ben Simmons and his ego, Seth Curry, and PJ Washington to the Minneapolis Lakers.
Russel Eastbrick and Partrick Mills the 3rd to the Charlotte Bobcats.
Gordon Hayward and Terry Tate Rozier to the New Jersey Nets.
Money works. Ben Simmons magically is healed. Lakers get a much needed a shooter.
Hornets get rid of salary but still have a talented backcourt and depth.
Nets get two players that want to play (when healthy) and can get buckets.
I don’t see the trade working. How is Simmons going to return to health? The Lakers can move to Anaheim. The whole team can convert to a religion that is suitable for their community. It is Conservative. So, no games on Sunday…Their are to many politically correct issues to work out.
He was never injured to begin with mentally or physically. {Roll Safe Meme}
This is why the lakers need to clean house in front office. Westbrook isn’t a fit on a team. It’s all about him and not the team success. Phil jackson has lost touch with how today’s game is played. Non shooters who don’t play any defense are like a center that can only post up. Obsolete in today’s nba
Lakers and 76ers have championship expectation
Lakers keep Westbrook = 76ers keep both Rivers and Harden
Can Lakers dump Westbrook contract and end up with Ayton?
Suns are going to trade Ayton
Internet trade proposal
Lakers mail out Russell to Wolves for Russell
Russell = Russell
But I like this one better from reporters
Lakers mail out Westbrook via 4 teams and turn out to be Zach LaVine in Lakers uniform
God. You make it so hard. Please explain to me why you think the Timberwolves would want trade D’Angelo Russell.
Why, do I see a trend here. They fire Gentry, then bring him back in some made up position, no one has ever heard of. Hire Brown as Head Coach. Now we must retain D. Christie (I’m ok with that, but now theres no extension talks for McNair). I Predict, Gentry becomes GM, before this is all said and done and D. Christie becomes Associate Head Coach.
They probably are still paying him regardless?
What trend are you talking about? I don’t understand what you are complaining about?
Can we please stop with all these Westbrook rumors! He is not getting traded because nobody wants him with that big fat contract. Lakers are smart in not giving up draft picks to get rid of him.
Rockets do if they get picks , hornets willing to if they take often injured Hayward. Pacers might. Just because you think there no teams . There been a million story about team who might be willing to take him
According to Twitter
Lakers fans don’t want to see Westbrook in Lakers uniform next season.
76ers fans don’t want to see Rivers and Harden in 76ers uniform next season.
Oh my gawd. Sillivan has said Twitter has decided everything. Sillivan is the center of NBA UNIVERSE. The NBA revolves around what Sillivan says.
Gawd. Are you really that stupid? The million stories you are talking come from people who can’t dribble a basketball. Why do you guys believe them?
Seriously. I gave up long ago. 99% of these guys don’t care about Basketball. 99% of these people have some agenda beyond Basketball. The guys that run this website are great.
Teams want that expiring 47 million contract though. It’s not as untradeable as you think. That’s a huge chunk coming off the books for any team picking him up
Even though their roster was missing pieces, as I had said in the offseason, and then they made dumb moves getting rid of Gasol for DeAndre Jordan, and bringing in too many PGs, while totally ignoring the wing (which was an issue the previous season, and was now short even more pieces there) and they also had the injuries they had, they didnt use what they had correctly much either. Took them forever to us Austin Reaves, with no other wing shooting options, and they threw out a bunch of lineups with zero spacing on the floor. They were finally able to get Lebron to play at the 4/5, and Anthony Davis at the 5, but it didnt really matter…
They really dont need to do that much, in my opinion. They just need to make a couple of fixes, and add a couple of pieces, and that is the difference between being a potential midseeded team in the west/maybe higher, and missing the playoffs again…assuming health