Lakers' Westbrook parts ways with agent, clouding his future

Los Angeles Lakers star Russell Westbrook and his longtime agent, Thad Foucher, have parted ways after 14 years due to "irreconcilable differences."

Foucher had been Westbrook's agent since the guard left UCLA as a sophomore and became the No. 4 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, who promptly became the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Foucher suggested that he and Westbrook, a nine-time NBA All-Star, were no longer aligned about whether the former MVP should — or should want to — stick with the Lakers for the final season of his five-year, $47 million contract, per ESPN.

Westbrook, a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, has been the subject of trade talks after a debut season with Los Angeles that resulted in a lackluster 33–49 finish. He averaged 18.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.1 assists in 78 games for the Lakers — and his situation isn't improving.

"I represented Russell Westbrook for 14 years and am proud of our partnership which included a highly successful 2008 draft, a super-max contract and the only renegotiation-and-extend max contract in history. I also … orchestrated three successive trades on Russell's behalf — culminating with the trade to his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. Each time, teams gave up valuable players and assets to acquire Russell — and each time, a new organization embraced his arrival. We did it together with grace and class," Foucher said in a statement.

"Now, with a possibility of a fourth trade in four years, the marketplace is telling the Lakers they must add additional value with Russell in any trade scenario. And even then, such a trade may require Russell to immediately move on from the new team via buyout," Foucher continued. "My belief is that this type of transaction only serves to diminish Russell's value and his best option is to stay with the Lakers, embrace the starting role and support that Darvin Ham publicly offered.

"Russell is a first-ballot Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame player and will prove that again before he is retired. Unfortunately, irreconcilable differences exist as to his best pathway forward and we are no longer working together. I wish Russell and his family the very best," Foucher concluded.

Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe reacted to Foucher's remarks and shared what they believe the split means for Westbrook's future on Monday's "Undisputed."

"I am shocked on so many levels by this development. … I had no idea [Westbrook] wanted out because his body language [and] everything he had been doing of late suggested he was back happy and content in L.A. because he had a new sheriff in town in control in Darvin Ham," Bayless said.

"This felt like severe, super damage control from Thad Foucher."

"This is where they are. Russ doesn't wanna be a Laker. The Lakers don't want Russ to be a Laker. The agent thought Russ' best interest was to stay. Russ said, ‘I wanna go,' and here we are," Sharpe added. "You thought last year was fireworks? This is gonna be an adventure."