Darvin Ham amid Lakers trade rumors: ‘We love everyone on our roster’

Despite talk of the Los Angeles Lakers potentially dealing away players, new head coach Darvin Ham recently made an effort to express his enthusiasm about L.A.’s current roster.

Ham spoke about the Lakers’ current makeup and added that trade talk is a regular occurrence in the NBA.

“We love everyone on our roster,” Ham said. “And until you’re not on our roster, you’re ours and we’re going to try to get better with the group that we have. That’s just the bottom line of it.

“I don’t know a player that’s come through this league in my 26 years that hasn’t had their name part of a trade rumor a time or two. But, it is what it is. It’s the nature of the beast of our business. And so, again, the guys we have on our roster I’m very thankful for, I’m proud of and we want to maximize everything they can do to help us get to that ultimate goal.”

The Lakers are certainly trying to wipe away the frustration of their 33-49 record last season that resulted in the team getting shut out of the postseason. What made the decline so aggravating to many was that prior to the start of the campaign, the Lakers were seen by many as championship contenders.

When it comes to trade possibilities, Russell Westbrook has been a frequent topic of conversation. His arrival in L.A. last year was met with enthusiasm, but his presence eventually led to chemistry issues as well as fans turning on the veteran guard.

The prospect of Westbrook being dealt to acquire Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving has been one of the most prominent rumors lately.

However, Ham has already spoken about his enthusiasm regarding Westbrook, so it’s possible that the former MVP will still be in a Lakers uniform when the upcoming season opens.