Overview
- Yaron Weitzman reports that during a Will Smith visit to the Lakers’ facility, LeBron James dominated a planned brief session with extended questions, after which Russell Westbrook told a teammate he hated the “fake” behavior.
- Weitzman describes a Summer League game where Westbrook and James did not interact, a scene that a Lakers coach said confirmed the fit was failing and foreshadowed moving Westbrook to a bench role.
- The reporting says Westbrook believed James pushed for a Kyrie Irving deal that would have required sending Westbrook out, even as negotiations with the Nets ultimately went nowhere.
- Westbrook was traded in February 2023, the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals that spring, and they exited in the first round in both 2024 and 2025.
- ClutchPoints notes Westbrook has since moved teams multiple times, most recently signing with the Sacramento Kings earlier this week.