"I'm not going to sit here and make decisions for the front office"- LeBron James comes to Russell Westbrook's defense amid multiple trade rumors

With Russell Westbrook and the LA Lakers coming to a crossroads, LeBron James supported his teammate.

Acquired in August from the Washington Wizards, Westbrook was viewed as the missing piece for a championship. But the season saw a rapid decline in the veteran guard's play, and his future with the organization could be in doubt.

With the season ending, it hasn't taken long for trade rumors to start picking up steam. The Lakers (33-49) are going to need to make some drastic changes to their roster, and many expect the team to move on from Westbrook.

James spoke with the media recently and defended the 33-year-old:

"I'm not going to sit here and make decisions for the front office. ... I love being teammates with Russ."

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Questions surrounding Russell Westbrook's future with the LA Lakers

LA Lakers guard Russell Westbrook

Coming into the season, there was a lot of optimism that veteran guard Russell Westbrook could be the missing ingredient for this Lakers franchise.

With LeBron James and Anthony Davis running the show, the idea was that another star could give the Lakers a dangerous trio in a championship pursuit. After a nightmare season that saw the Lakers deal with numerous injuries and inconsistent play, the team will head into the offseason needing to draw up a new plan.

The Lakers (33-49) on Monday fired coach Frank Vogel after three seasons that included the 2020 championship.

Westbrook is set to have a player option for $47.0 million for next season, and it would seem likely he would exercise that option. There are going to be numerous rumors spread about Westbrook throughout the upcoming months. Many expect the Lakers will attempt to move the veteran guard to revamp their current roster.

The fit with Westbrook and the Lakers never seemed to work. But perhaps another organization will kick the tires to see if a new start can get the veteran guard back on track.

Westbrook averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game while shooting 44.4%, including 29.8% from 3-point range.

Westbrook led the Lakers in games and starts (78), but Los Angeles went 31-47 when he played.

Los Angeles was 21-19 and riding a season's best four-game winning streak on Jan. 7. But the Lakers didn't win consecutive games until winning Friday and Sunday. In between, they went on a 10-30 nosedive.