Lakers News: LeBron James 'blocked' a trade for Buddy Hield, asked for Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook hadn’t even tried the Los Angeles Lakers jersey on and he was already under heavy scrutiny. Despite his talent and skills, his lack of playoff success and ball dominance raised serious questions about his fit with the team.

Moreover, the Lakers were reportedly close to sending Kyle Kuzma and other players to the Sacramento Kings to land Buddy Hield, the sharpshooter they had been craving for quite some time.

That’s why it was such a surprise to know that they had a last-second change of heart and made a deal with the Washington Wizards instead. Now, Marc Stein reports that it was all at LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ request.

Lakers Wanted To Trade For Buddy Hield, LeBron Asked For Russell Westbrook Instead

“James and Davis encouraged the Lakers’ front office to go all-in for Westbrook rather than proceed with GM Rob Pelinka’s plans to trade for Sacramento’s Buddy Hield,” Stein explained.

Star players do this all the time so we shouldn’t make a big deal out of it. Nonetheless, one can’t help but wonder how different things could be if they had traded for Hield instead of the former OKC Thunder star.

Lakers’ Front Office Is Now ‘Stuck’ With Westbrook And They Know It

The Lakers have been far from pleased with Westbrook’s performance this season. The former Scoring Champion has been the team’s scapegoat more over than not. Nonetheless, it’s not like they can move his massive deal, so they know they’re stuck with him right now:

(Transcript via Marc Stein)

“The Lakers … appear determined to stick with Westbrook through at least the rest of the season — which means holding onto their 2027 first-round draft pick for other potential trade opportunities.

There are a variety of reasons, sources say, that the Lakers refuse to do so. Surrendering such a valuable trade chip for a swap that isn’t guaranteed to raise the Lakers’ ceiling this season is the primary deterrent … There are also major optics concerns for the Lakers. Team officials, sources say, do not want to pay a premium to move on from Westbrook so soon after the Lakers gave up so much to get the Los Angeles native.”

Russell Westbrook is one of the most physically gifted players to ever lace them up, so maybe he doesn’t deserve this kind of treatment. But that’s also what you sign up for when you join the purple and gold.