Tommy Sheppard cleared the record indicating that Russell Westbrook never demanded a trade from the Washington Wizards. 

The Wizards traded Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers several hours before the draft in July.

“I really have to make sure the record is straight on that,” Sheppard said in an interview with NBC Sports Washington’s Chris Miller. “Russell actually never asked to move on. He just said, ‘If I can get to the Lakers, that’d be something I would love to do. If not, I’ll be back here.’ I said, ‘What about the Clippers?’ He said, ‘Hell no.’ So Russell was happy being here and we were very grateful for him being here.”

Westbrook reportedly reached out to Kawhi Leonard in 2019 about joining him on the Clippers via trade before it eventually became Paul George moving from the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

The Clippers, for their part, were reportedly not interested in Westbrook this offseason.

Trevelin Queen has signed a partially guaranteed camp deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Queen averaged 13.2 points on 54 percent shooting from three for the Lakers in Summer League.

Queen went undrafted in 2020 out of New Mexico State and played for the Rio Grand Valley Vipers last season in the G League. 

LeBron James has confirmed that he is vaccinated against COVID-19.

"I can speak about myself," said James when asked about the issue. "I think everyone has their own choice to do what they feel is right for themselves and their families. I know that I was very skeptical about it all, but after doing my research, I felt like it was best suited for not only me, but my friends. That's why I decided to do it.

"You guys know me, anything I talk about, I don't talk about other people and what they should do. I speak for me and my family. That's what It's about.

"We're talking about individual bodies. We're not talking bout something political, or racism or police brutality. We're talking about people's bodies and well-being. I don't think I personally should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and livelihoods. That would be like me talking about if somebody should take this job or not. Listen, you have to do what's best for you and your family.

"I know what I did for me and my family. I know what some of my friends did for their families. But as far as speaking for everybody and their individualities, and things they want to do, that's not my job."

The Los Angeles Lakers are unlikely to start a conventional center this season, leaving the position for Anthony Davis. While Davis is most effective at center, he has historically been reluctant to play the position full time.

The Lakers will likely start Davis, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook alongside Wayne Ellington and Trevor Ariza. Talen Horton-Tucker is also expected to compete in a camp for a starting role.

Ellington made 42.2 percent of his three-pointers last season.

Ariza gives the Lakers' versatility on defense.

The Lakers added Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan at center in the offseason.

The Los Angeles Lakers signed Frank Vogel to a contract extension on August 6th as he was set to enter the final season of a three-year deal.

Vogel's contract extension, however, added only one season to secure him through 22-23.

The Lakers lost Jason Kidd as an assistant coach in the offseason, but they did hire David Fizdale.

“I hope to be a Laker for life," said Vogel after the Lakers' elimination in the playoffs. "But, you know, all that stuff will play out and in the right time. And those conversations will remain private.”

The Sacramento Kings were left "steaming" when the Los Angeles Lakers pivoted away from trade discussions centered on Buddy Hield and executed a deal for Russell Westbrook.

The Kings had no idea the Lakers were even competing for a Westbrook deal.

The parameters of the deal centered on Hield for Kyle Kuzma and Montrezl Harrell.

“I was kind of shocked because I thought I was going to Sac,” Kuzma recently said on the “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas” podcast. “The Sacramento deal, with Buddy Hield, that [expletive] was done.”

Following the Los Angeles Lakers' exit in the first round of the playoffs, the front office explored trading for stars such as Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook. LeBron James setting up a war room of his own at his Brentwood estate for some in-person player meetings while leading remote communications in other conversations.

DeRozan took part in two meetings with James and also kept in touch via phone. DeRozan came away from the meetings believing he was the Lakers' priority, but as the process unfolded he was concerned about a perceived disconnect between the Lakers' stars and the front office. 

The group focused first on Lillard and Beal, but there was no viable path to trading for either of them considering their teams' asking prices. 

Rob Pelinka eventually locked in on a deal for Buddy Hield over a sign-and-trade for DeRozan before they shifted to a Westbrook trade. 

DeRozan eventually went to the Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade.

Following the Los Angeles Lakers' exit in the first round of the playoffs, the front office explored trading for stars such as Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook.

LeBron james set up a war room of his own at his house for some in-person player meetings while leading remote communications in other conversations. 

Those talks and others led the Lakers to the conclusion that Westbrook was the best solution. Westbrook came away expecting a trade to the Lakers, but the efforts were stymied by the Washington Wizards' refusal to make him available. 

“No one thought that Russ would get out,” said one source close to the discussions told The Athletic.

On the morning of the draft, Rob Pelinka decided he had no choice but to move on to their backup plan of Buddy Hield.

Westbrook heard the Lakers were ready to move on.

“That set Russ off,” one source said. “All he wanted, by any means, was to be a Laker.”

Westbrook then called Ted Leonsis for a personal favor of finding a way for him to be traded to the Lakers. 

“(Westbrook) took control of his situation,” one involved source said.

The Wizards softened their stance and Tommy Sheppard called Pelinka to initiate conversations that culminated in a trade.

The Los Angeles Lakers are signing Two-Way player Austin Reaves to a standard NBA contract. The deal is expected to be for two years, with the second year either a team option or non-guaranteed.

LA had previously signed Reaves to a Two-Way deal. The 6'5'' guard went undrafted out of Oklahoma at the 2021 NBA Draft. Reaves then played Summer League for the Lakers. In Las Vegas, Reaves averaged 7.0 points, 2.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.

Reaves was previously a two-year starter at Oklahoma after transferring from Wichita State. He chose to enter the draft, rather then taking advantage of the NCAA allowing seniors a "bonus" season in 2021-22.

The Lakers roster now stands at 14 players on standard contracts. It's been expected Los Angeles would leave their final standard roster spot open for flexibility in-season.

LeBron James will enter the 21-22 season trimmer than usual. Sources tell ESPN that his offseason regimen was focused on adding lean muscle rather than shedding pounds. James has maintained his weight at around 250 pounds as he was listed last season.

"I think the thing that stands out is just his fitness level," Rob Pelinka said of James. "He's slimmed up. And we all know LeBron studies the greats, and he adds things into his game, and I think going into this stage of his career, he's made a decision to come back a little bit leaner, and I think that's going to translate in his explosiveness and quickness."

James will turn 37 in December and has now played over 50,000 regular season minutes in addition to more than 11,000 in the playoffs.