West Notes: Lakers, Russell Westbrook, Warriors, Kings

Lakers

Opposing executives have offered some strong opinions on Russell Westbrook and what may come next for the Lakers, as detailed by Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report.

“If they’re not trading Westbrook, it’s time to stop tiptoeing around his feelings,” one source told Pincus. “If he has to come off the bench or not play at all, then do what’s best for the team. If his play isn’t resulting in positive contributions, then look at other options.”

League insiders think the Lakers should try to trade Westbrook for less glamoous pieces who can offer LeBron James and Anthony Davis some help for the perimeter — if the Lakers can, of course.

“Individually, they’re three elite talents, but how exactly can Darvin Ham space the floor around LeBron with two non-shooters in huge roles?” an opposing executive told Pincus.

Another source was more direct.

“They need a time machine,” the source told Pincus, suggesting the Lakers never should have traded for Westbrook in the first place.

Warriors

Former Run TMC member Tim Hardaway is being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and believes those old Warriors could have maybe won a title had they stayed together.

Those teams also featured Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin and were coached by Don Nelson. But Nelson traded Richmond to the Kings in a deal for Billy Owens, and those Warriors were never the same.

“Nellie’s still regretting that,” Hardaway said, via Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “It only lasted two years. If we would have stayed together for at least five or six years, we could have done something and went further in the playoffs. And probably could have won the whole thing.”

The modern version of the Warriors, of course, have been to the Finals six times and won four titles, including last season. But Hardaway think his Golden State teams were no slouches, either.

“We had [opponents] that were legitimately scared to play against us,” he said, via Poole. “We could catch fire at any time. We had basketball IQ. We were unselfish … who knows if we would have stayed together six years?”

• The Warriors announced multiple basketball operations department additions and promotions, with Hilton Armstrong and Anthony Vereen named Player Development Coaches; Will Sheehey as Player Development Analyst; Klinton Carlson as Co-Head Video Coordinator/Player Development and Mychel Thompson as Video Coordinator. Thompson is the older brother of Klay Thompson.

Kings

• Who will start next to De’Aaron Fox in the Kings backcourt? It seems the top options are new acquisitions Kevin Huerter (Hawks) or Malik Monk (Lakers), wrote James Ham of The King Beat.
• In case you missed it, the Kings have re-signed guard DJ Steward, as relayed by Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee. Steward split time last season between Sacramento and the G League affiliate in Stockton.