James, Davis and Dudley checked on Bradley Beal, gauging the All-Star guard’s desire about a trade. They knew the Lakers didn’t have the assets for Damian Lillard. They wondered about another run at All-Star point guard Kyle Lowry after the team failed to trade for him at the deadline in the winter. They thought about DeMar DeRozan, another All-Star guard who was willing to return to Los Angeles to play with the Lakers — but not the Clippers — before nixing the idea because of concerns regarding his role. It became clear that Westbrook was the right target — a player they wanted to work with, who, most importantly, the Lakers could actually acquire.