Newsletter

Rumors: Lakers explore trading Davis; Westbrook in the crosshairs; James near an extension

The future of the “Big Three” of the Lakers seems to be on the tightrope.

The Angelenos are looking for a way to fight for an NBA championship again and hope that LeBron James, who is in the final year of his contract and is in talks with the team for a two-year extension, will be the one to lead the team again. Gold-Purple quintet to glory.

For team dreams to come true, they must have the right pieces around them.

As soon as a disastrous season, in which they failed to secure a playoff spot, came to an end, Lakers management decided to fire coach Frank Vogel and go with first-timer Darvin Ham, who was an assistant coach from 2011- 13, was also part of the champion coaching staff of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2020-21 season.

Another of the unknowns that the Lakers have had to deal with in the league offseason has been guard Russell Westbrook, who had a disappointing year with the team. The player wants to stay in Los Angeles and fulfill his contract, promising better development under the new coach.

For several months the Lakers have tried to trade Westbrook, a player who has been identified as problematic and difficult to train. Angelenos have not yet received a proposal that seems fair to them.

However, although James and Westbrook could be decisive for the next season of the team, it is Anthony Davis who is the biggest doubt for the future of the franchise.

When the player was acquired by the Los Angeles quintet in 2019, it was with the intention that he carry the team after an eventual retirement or departure of James. Davis was crucial in LA reaching title number 17 in the Orlando bubble in 2020. Davis has played in just 138 regular season games – 40 in the 2021-22 season – since his arrival due to his many injuries. .

Although the team has not officially stated that they are studying the possibility of a trade for Davis, the journalist Sean Deveney, from Heavy.com, after a conversation with a league executive, assures that the Angelenos are seriously studying the possibility, if James signs the two-year extension with the Lakers.

“A lot of this depends on where LeBron ends up,” the executive told Deveney. “If he stays in Los Angeles and remains a Laker, he’s invested a lot personally in AD being there, so yeah, in that case, Davis stays. But it’s not a sure thing, there are some in that organization who wouldn’t mind seeing what they can bring to AD, but they wouldn’t with LeBron there. However, you get to 2024 and maybe things will change.”

James has been very clear that he intends to play alongside his son, Bronny, who could enter the league in 2024.

“The Lakers have AD for two more years for sure, and they can only hope he stays healthy,” the executive said. “But after that, they have to think, ‘Is this guy really our future?’ He can’t stay on the field. And he has to think ‘do I want to be here without LeBron?’ That’s why the Lakers don’t want to give up those future picks. [del draft]”.

Almost two months before the start of the new season, the Lakers have many decisions to make that could shape the future not only of the team but of the league itself.

Westbrook wasn’t the complement the Lakers expected from Davis and James, so moving him to another team might provide a sense of relief within the team, but at the same time, management is trying to be patient with Westbrook and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him. at the Crypto.com Arena with James and Davis looking for redemption.

The Lakers have apparently set themselves a “soft deadline” to determine Westbrook’s future.

“There is a sense among some that training camp is a soft deadline to move Westbrook,” according to Jovan Buha of TheAthletic.com. “If he’s on the roster at the end of September, there will be a huge distraction off the court, with the media asking about his future, his relationship with James and the organization, Ham’s view of the role and responsibilities of the”.

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Trending