LA Lakers News Roundup: Jeanie Buss’ Twitter account hacked, LeBron James on the dock to earn 97 million extension and more | 2nd August, 2022

LA Lakers governor Jeanie Buss’ Twitter account shockingly put two PS5 gaming consoles on sale. Reports now surfaced that her account was hacked, leading to a rather dubious message.

LeBron James and the Lakers could start negotiating for the superstar’s max extension worth $97 million for two years. The four-time MVP has repeatedly mentioned that he will wait until August 4 before getting into details of the contract talks.

LA Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has signed with Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, per Adrian Wojnarowski. About a week ago, the former MVP fired longtime manager Thad Foucher in a public separation between the two.

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Jeanie Buss’ Twitter account looked as though it has been hacked

Jeanie Buss has account hacking added to her plate in the offseason. [Photo: The Spun]

Alarm bells rang last night after Jeanie Buss’ Twitter account suddenly sent a questionable message. The message was about the availability of three PlayStation 5 gaming consoles, which could be directly purchased from Buss.

“Huge Announcement Hello twitter family i have 2 #PS5 For sale for you guys! DM me to purchase! All proceeds will go directly towards charity and everyone that purchases one will have the chance to attend a lakers game.”

Buss and the LA Lakers front office are busy trying to revamp a roster that can compete better next season. The team will also have to start talks with LeBron James regarding a two-year max extension. With everything going on, it seems like she wasn’t aware the account had been hacked.

Before the “PS5 for sale” shock, Jeanie Buss posted her thoughts on the passing away of Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell. She also replied to a post regarding the late Kobe Bryant’s thoughts on the greatest winner the NBA has ever seen.

The hacking was similar to what happened to WWE legend Mick Foley. Foley has already reached out to the victims of the duplicity regarding the "PS5 for sale" trickery.

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LeBron James will be eligible in a few days to sign a two-year max extension with the Lakers worth $97 million

The entire NBA will be watching closely what happens on August 4 between LeBron James and the LA Lakers. [Photo: Chat Sports]

Amid the Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving hoopla, LeBron James’ upcoming contract extension took a backseat. But with August 4 now on the horizon, what happens in the next few days could be franchise-altering for the LA Lakers.

LA and James don’t have to decide on the said date. They can reach an agreement before the 2023-24 season starts. The LA Lakers will be in a bind if the 18x All-Star waits until after next season ends to decide on his future.

However, there is a general feeling that LeBron James wants to continue playing for the LA Lakers. The delay in a commitment to extending may be James’ posturing in pushing the team to upgrade the roster after missing the playoffs.

Sporting News' Jordan Greer mentioned this in his report:

“James is eligible to sign a contract extension with the Lakers on Thursday, Aug. 4. It could be a one-year extension worth $47 million or a two-year extension worth $97 million. (There isn't a hard deadline on that deal. It could stay on the table until the start of next year's free agency period.)

Greer then covered James' current contract:

The 37-year-old is currently only under contract through the 2022-23 season. He originally signed a four-year, $153.5 million contract with the Lakers in 2018, then agreed to a two-year, $85.6 million extension in 2020 after Los Angeles won the NBA championship.”

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LA Lakers superstar Russell Westbook hires Jeff Schwartz as new manager

Russell Westbrook gets Jeff Schwartz to represent him in the NBA. [Photo: LA Times]

Roughly a week after parting ways with the only manager he has ever known in his NBA career, Russell Westbrook is now with Jeff Schwartz. Thad Foucher and Westbrook had a rather public separation after the agent told ESPN the reason for the dissolution of their partnership.

Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news of who will now represent the nine-time All-Star:

“Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook has signed with agent Jeff Schwartz of @ExcelSports for his representation, Westbrook told ESPN on Monday afternoon.”

Westbrook and Foucher ended their professional relationship due to “irreconcilable differences.” Foucher’s letter to ESPN hinted that the triple-double king wanted out of Hollywood. Foucher may have held him back because it would devalue “Brodie.” If a trade were to happen, it would mean that Westbrook has been traded in the last four seasons.

Westbrook’s former agent encouraged the point guard to embrace whatever role new Darvin Ham is planning for him. Instead of asking for a trade, it may be wise to play out the final year of his contract with the LA Lakers.

Moving the former MVP would also be extremely difficult this offseason due to his massive salary and last season’s struggles. The LA Lakers have been unwilling to include two future first-round picks in a potential Westbrook trade.