“LeBron’s starting to realise ‘you know what? The Nets ain’t going to deal us Kyrie’” - Shannon Sharpe says the LA Lakers Big 3 are trying to play the hand they’ve been dealt, believes Russ still wants out
The LA Lakers are not in a fantastic situation this summer. LeBron James would love to win his fifth championship ring, but he may not be able to do so with a roster that doesn't complement him well.
Russell Westbrook seems to be the scapegoat for the Lakers' failures and the team has been trying to trade him. Unfortunately, the point guard may stay on the roster for another year.
Shannon Sharpe recently spoke about a phone call between James, Westbrook, and Anthony Davis. According to reports, the trio had a call to confirm their commitment to each other.
"This phone call has everything to do with, 'These are the cards that we were dealt. We've got to play this hand,'" Sharpe said. "Everyone would like to reshuffle the cards, Russ would like to reshuffle the cards, the Lakers would like to reshuffle the cards."
While it's true that everyone would like to reshuffle the cards, this simply isn't going to happen. Fortunately, Westbrook is on an expiring contract and the LA Lakers will have more flexibility once they get him off the books.
Brooklyn Nets may not trade Kyrie Irving to the LA Lakers
The Brooklyn Nets and the LA Lakers are both in horrible situations. While the Nets have a much better roster, they have two players who would like to leave the team.
Due to these issues, the Nets have been linked to the Lakers this summer. The two teams have reportedly been involved in trade discussions, but nothing has happened so far.
.@ShannonSharpe on reports of the Lakers Big 3 vowing to "make it work"
"I believe Russ wants out of LA...But this phone call was about playing with the cards you're dealt. They're realizing the Nets aren't dealing them Kyrie. No one is going to take the $47M off their hands." https://t.co/52RBdaiEma
Shannon Sharpe doesn't think the Nets will trade Kyrie Irving for Russell Westbrook, and he believes that LeBron James is starting to realize that too.
"LeBron is starting to realize, 'Nets aren't going to deal us Kyrie for Russ, Russ is not going anywhere. Nobody is going to take his $47 million...we're going to be stuck. Let's make the best of this situation that we have,'" the NBA analyst said.
Sharpe thinks that the best thing to do for all parties involved is to move forward, even if this means having another unsuccessful season.
Russell Westbrook's future
If the LA Lakers make a big move this summer, it will most likely be a Russell Westbrook trade.
Westbrook has been on four different teams in the last four years, which doesn't look good for him. Unfortunately, the 6-foot-3 guard is a scapegoat for the LA Lakers this summer, which makes him a likely trade candidate.
Anthony Davis seeing everyone overlook his shortcomings last season to blame Russell Westbrook https://t.co/CFIPlP0z2E
The Lakers point guard recently parted ways with his agent, which makes his future even more uncertain.
He happily opted into the final year of his contract with the team and will be the second-highest paid player in the league next year.