Report: LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, Anthony Davis Speak, Commit to Lakers Future

Despite a disappointing first year as teammates, the Los Angeles Lakers' Big 3 are planning to stick together for the 2022-23 season, according to reports.

According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the superstars had a phone conversation and each promised to make it work.

In the last few weeks, the subject of trade speculation has been on the rise. He's been linked to a potential deal for Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving, whom the Lakers have reportedly been pursuing in an effort to reassemble James with his championship-winning teammate.

Haynes reported that the uncertainty of Westbrook's future with the Lakers remains, but the phone call was arranged to make sure all three were on the same page as long as they were joined together in their pursuit of a title.

Los Angeles was expected to compete for a title but instead struggled with chemistry and injury problems that resulted in a 33-49 record and an 11th place finish in the Western Conference. James and Davis missed a lot of time throughout the year as they only appeared in 21 games together.

Darvin Ham is the new head coach of the Lakers. During his introductory press conference, the former Milwaukee Bucks assistant said that he expects to see a big role for Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook.

"Russ and I had some really, really great one-on-one conversations, man, and the biggest word I think came out of that was'sacrifice,'" said Ham. I expect him to be the same player that he has always been.

While a commitment to one another is a strong step forward, the Lakers weren't world-beaters last year. Los Angeles hasn't shown it can be considered an elite team in the west. The Lakers will need a commitment to defense and consistent effort to compete for a title.