Russell Westbrook’s future with the Los Angeles Lakers remains unclear — as shown by the guard’s split from his long-time agent.
Westbrook parted ways with Thad Foucher last month after the Wasserman agent had negotiated two max deals for the 2017 NBA MVP during his career.
The circumstances around the split led to further questions over the guard’s next team; Foucher came up with an unusual statement on the end of his partnership with Westbrook, citing “irreconcilable differences as to his best pathway forward” as the reason behind the breakup.
But ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports Westbrook has already found a new agent in Jeff Schwartz of Excel Sports:
Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook has signed with agent Jeff Schwartz of @ExcelSports for his representation, Westbrook told ESPN on Monday afternoon.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 1, 2022
Schwartz represents multiple NBA stars including reigning MVP Nikola Jokic, Brandon Ingram, C.J. McCollum, and Khris Middleton. However, he has also helped the likes of Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan stay in the league despite the rapidly shrinking market for the two big men.
In the case of Drummond, Schwartz helped the former Detroit Pistons star negotiate a contract buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers before the big man signed for the Lakers in 2021. The agent has had a hand in similar big-money buyouts of LaMarcus Aldridge, Kemba Walker, and Blake Griffin.
Moreover, Schwartz takes care of former Laker Malik Monk, who reportedly refused L.A.’s taxpayer mid-level exception money to sign with the Sacramento Kings this summer.
Foucher recommended Westbrook to ‘stay with Lakers, embrace starting role’
In his statement, Foucher claimed he advised Westbrook against seeking a trade away from L.A. Instead, the agent thought the best option for the guard was to “stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered.”
If the above views led to Westbrook’s split with Foucher, it would suggest the playmaker would rather leave the Purple and Gold this summer.
Also, the breakup reportedly caught the Lakers by surprise.
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