Russell Westbrook's first year with the Los Angeles Lakers was so bad that most fans didn't think he would even get a second year with the team. After all, he was flat-out bad last season as his shooting was some of the worst of his career. Not to mention, he was not the triple-double machine that he was in years past. It had many contemplating Russ' standing with the team and whether or not this summer would provide the ample space to trade him.
Ever since the hiring of Darvin Ham as head coach, there has been this sense that Russ is staying put. That was reinforced on Monday as Ham had his first press conference as head coach. When asked about Russ, the coach stated that he absolutely sees Russ staying with the team and that he hopes to get the Lakers star playing defense again.
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"Don't get it messed up. Russell's one of the best players our league has ever seen. And it's still a ton left in that tank. I don't know why people tend to try to write him off. I'm gonna approach him like I do every player I've ever encountered. We're gonna talk about our running habits with the ball, without the ball."
Ham seems to have a lot of belief in Westbrook and that won't go away anytime soon. At the end of the day, it is up to management whether or not Russ does indeed get dealt. For now, however, the Lakers are keeping their big three intact.