At season’s end, the idea of Russell Westbrook returning for a second season felt impossible. Not only had he been one of the central figures of one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history, he then went scorched Earth during his exit interview that seemed to be the final nail in the coffin.
But add some time and distance to the situation and take a broader look at matters and the Lakers are at least putting up a front that they could be changing their mind on the matter.
The offseason will feature a lot of moving parts for the franchise, the first of those being hiring a new head coach.