Los Angeles Lakers guard Russell Westbrook has found new representation. Amid a summer of trade speculation, the nine-time All-Star has hired NBA super-agent Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports Management, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Last month, the topic of Westbrook's representation made major headlines when his agent of 14 years, Thad Foucher, penned an unprecedented letter after he and Westbrook divorced. The message from Foucher — an agent known for preferring to stay out of the spotlight and handle business behind the scenes — implied that Westbrook wanted to move on from the Lakers rather than accept a defense-first, off-ball role that Darvin Ham envisions.
What a statement from Russell Westbrook’s now former agenthttps://t.co/6eaq4Hem5h pic.twitter.com/ShSZ7q5SaD
— Michael Corvo (@michaelcorvoNBA) July 16, 2022
Westbrook has not formally requested a trade, per the Los Angeles Times. The 2017 MVP is entering the final year of his supermax contract that will earn him a league-high $47.1 million in 2022-23. Should Westbrook, 34, change teams again, it would be his fifth spot while on the five-year deal.
Westbrook is coming off a calamitous first season in Los Angeles. He failed to adequately adapt his game to fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, refused to commit to off-ball responsibilities, and his defense, ball security, and finishing were suspect. He took issue with former head coach Frank Vogel from Day 1 and pointed the finger at everybody besides himself (including LeBron and Anthony Davis) during an explosive exit interview press conference. Overall, he averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 7.1 assists for the 33-win Lakers on .444/.298/.667 shooting splits.
At Summer League, he was, conspicuously, the only Lakers employee not to interact with LeBron. According to The Athletic, the relationship between Westbrook and the Lakers is “becoming more untenable with each passing week as the two sides seemingly head for an inevitable divorce.” For what it's worth, Ham and Rob Pelinka have publicly included Westbrook as a member of the team's “Big Three” going forward, but the Lakers are known to be shopping Westbrook.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/2wsaZIZrrM0YHuxwMRJN2Z?si=abf17243d88e4ef2
Schwartz's impressive client list includes reigning back-to-back MVP Nikola Jokic — who just signed the most lucrative contract in NBA history — as well as C.J. McCollum, Khris Middleton, Kevin Love, Brandon Ingram, Jamal Murray, Malik Monk, and many others. Westbrook is Schwartz's only client on the Lakers, at the moment.
Follow Us
Subscribe