LA Lakers Rumors Roundup: Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook trade may not be as far-fetched as it seems on surface, Lakers could still waive former MVP by September as last resort to start fresh, and more | 6th June 2022

The Kyrie Irving and Russell Westbrook exchange could not be as ridiculous as it sounds, according to LA Lakers beat writer Bill Oram. If it can help both teams avoid another embarrassing season, they may well get on with it.

Part of the reason why Darvin Ham was hired as the Lakers’ head coach was presumably his solution to the Westbrook problem. Despite this being the case, the front office could still end up waiving the former MVP before next season begins.

After the LA Lakers officially announced Ham as their new head coach, Russell Westbrook gave a subtle hint of his approval. The beleaguered point guard featured a story on his Instagram feed of the Lakers’ post informing basketball fans of Ham's hiring.

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Kyrie Irving trade for Russell Westbrook is plausible on paper

The Brooklyn Nets and LA Lakers' point guard play will be crucial for their respective success next season. [Photo: Sporting News]

News of Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Mark secretly meeting LA Lakers counterpart Rob Pelinka recently broke in the media. Ever since then, speculations surrounding the Irving-for-Westbrook trade have exploded.

The two heavy favorites to win the title had disastrous 2021-22 seasons with point guard play or lack thereof as the main issue.

Kyrie Irving missed a large chunk of the season due to his stance on the COVID-19 vaccine, which greatly affected the Nets’ postseason performance. Brooklyn looked out of sorts because they didn’t seem to have the right chemistry. They were swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

The Lakers, on the other hand, had Russell Westbrook for most of the year but just couldn’t maximize his impact. He played his worst season in years and was at odds with the media, former head coach Frank Vogel and even LeBron James and Anthony Davis. LA failed to make it into the postseason.

Here’s what Bill Oram explained in a trade that could perhaps solve both teams’ problems:

“I don’t know that it’s going to happen, but from a logical standpoint, it makes sense. From a logical standpoint, the Nets are absolutely sick of the Kyrie Irving experience. The Lakers are sick of the Russell Westbrook experience. That said, the Nets know they have the better player and the better asset despite all of his idiosyncrasies.”

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Waiving Russell Westbrook remains a possibility down the road for LA Lakers

The LA Lakers could still waive Russell Westbrook before next season. [Photo: Lake Show Life]

Even with Darvin Ham officially named as the LA Lakers’ new head coach, Russell Westbrook could still be waived at some point. Ham’s hiring presumably came with the idea that he offered a doable plan to make the Westbrook experiment work.

Longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein, however, is convinced that the Lakers’ quest to redeem themselves and keep LeBron James could still muck things up:

“The messaging, the whispers coming out of Lakerland, at this point, is that no, the Lakers don’t wanna waive him either, they're gonna bring him back. But that’s what you say on June 1st or June 2nd, that’s not necessarily how it plays out when we get to the end of September.”

Westbrook will likely opt-in to get his $47 million next season, which will make him the highest-paid player in the NBA. It would be very hard for the Lakers to trade the nine-time All-Star without absorbing contracts close to that amount, which could also be just as bad.

LA’s front office could ultimately bite the bullet and waive Russell Westbrook to give the team a fresh start. Forming a better supporting cast for LeBron James could entice the four-time MVP to eventually sign an extension with the Hollywood team.

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Without fanfare, Russell Westbrook gives his sign of approval for Darvin Ham hiring

Darvin Ham has been officiallly named the LA Lakers' new head coach. [Photo: NBA.com]

LeBron James quickly and loudly took to social media to welcome the hiring of Darvin Ham. A few days ago, the LA Lakers finally welcomed the former NBA journeyman as the team’s 28th head coach in franchise history.

Russell Westbrook, on the other hand, has been keeping mum on things since his testy exit interview where he blamed others for his horrible season. His subtle approval of Ham’s hiring was his first post about anything concerning the LA Lakers.

Westbrook posted a story on his Instagram account about the LA Lakers’ formal announcement of Ham as the new head coach. You can view it here (via The Lakers Review on Twitter):

“Brodie’s” message is a significant step towards building communication with Ham. Vogel’s replacement will be making Westbrook a big part of his plans next season if the beleaguered point guard is not traded.

Mr. Triple-Double accused the former Lakers head coach of not giving him “chances” to succeed. He should have no concerns about that with Ham as maximizing Westbrook’s skills is part of the job description.