LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook “huddled up” for a phone conversation in which they talked about their commitment to make the Lakers great again, per Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports.
The call took place during the first week of the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Haynes reported, with each player renewing the idea of making their Big Three work.
Last season, Westbrook’s first in LA, was a bust — with the Lakers failing to qualify for even the play-in tournament.
But they replaced former coach Frank Vogel with Darvin Ham, and added some youth to the roster via free agency, perhaps giving the team a renewed sense of hope.
Westbrook, of course, has been at the center of multiple trade rumors, as the Lakers reportedly have been in pursuit of Nets star Kyrie Irving as a replacement. But that idea seems shaky at best, with few opposing teams interested in Westbrook’s $47 million contract — all coming in the final year of his deal.
That said, Westbrook has not requested a trade, per Haynes, and seems fine with returning for another run.
”In his first season with the Lakers, Westbrook struggled to find a consistent groove and was largely painted as one of the central causes of the team’s shortcomings,” Haynes wrote.
That is very true, and some continue to view Westbrook as a clunky fit next to James and Davis. But for now, the Lakers appear fairly helpless to do much about it.
Still, Ham has come out as a staunch supporter of Westbrook, and there are those in the organization who clearly believe there are worse things than giving James, Davis and Westbrook another chance.
That list now appears to include the Big Three themselves.
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