For many fans, the best thing the Los Angeles Lakers could do this summer is trading Russell Westbrook. However, there are certainly hurdles that need to be overcome in a Westbrook trade that could give the team reasons to simply keep him around.
Meanwhile, there has been increased conversation around the possibility of the Lakers trading LeBron James as well. Jeanie Buss and management would likely never pull the trigger, but there is a case to be made that the team should move on from him and get future assets if they think he is going to leave after the 2022-23 season.
This is especially true if the team is unable to trade Westbrook this summer, thus closing the title window shut. Instead of repeating last season, the Lakers could start the rebuild early if they traded LeBron James.
Phil Jackson, who is advising the Lakers during the team’s search for its next head coach, has never been a big fan of LeBron James. Trading James is something that Jackson would seemingly like to do; but get this, he would also like to build around Russell Westbrook… at least according to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times.
“I’ve heard that Phil would like LeBron traded. But I have nothing to back that up. No on the record stuff to back that up. … I do know that Phil would like them to keep Westbrook and try to make it work with him.”
— The Lakers Review (@TheLakersReview) May 11, 2022
⁃ Bill Plaschke on The Gottlieb Show this morning
The way that Plaschke worded this is a bit dodgy, as he said that he has “nothing to back that up”. In saying that, Plaschke is essentially saying he has nothing on the record that he can form as a legitimate report.
Normally, this is something that we could just brush off as hearsay. However, considering Plashke just had a very long sit down with Jeanie Buss, who admitted to him that the Lakers are turning to Jackson for advice, there is at least some merit to Plashke’s claim.
Luckily, Phil Jackson is not actually in charge of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Show this article to any Lakers fan that wanted Jackson to come back to coach or help in the front office in an official capacity. Jackson was a horrible executive with the New York Knicks and this is proving that his basketball opinions are simply out of touch in the modern game.
Trading LeBron and committing to the tank is one thing. But to trade LeBron and “build around Westbrook”? That is something else. Luckily, the Lakers’ brass can just listen to Jackson’s input and laugh it off like he is the crazy uncle at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Well… maybe he is the crazy uncle at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Do I think that Jackson actually does believe this and is telling someone in the Lakers’ front office to at least consider the idea of trading LeBron and building around Westbrook? Yes, actually, I do.
Do I think that it will actually amount to anything? No, I do not… at least I hope.