Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham continued to throw his support behind point guard Russell Westbrook after Monday night's 105-75 preseason loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Westbrook recorded five points, three assists, two rebounds and one turnover across 15 minutes in L.A.'s exhibition opener.

"He's ours, and we love him, and we want him to do well," Ham told reporters. "I have a plan for him. That plan included him when they gave me the job. So it's been a great camp for him. He's played well. Energy has been through the roof. It's been great."

While it's a limited sample size, Westbrook played quite well on Monday. He didn't attempt any three-point shots, a major source of his offensive inefficiency in recent years, and his defensive intensity showed signs of improvement.

Yet, that didn't stop Lakers fans on social media from asking the front office to trade the nine-time All-Star before the regular season gets underway.

Ham has expressed support for the maligned guard since he was hired in June, however, and he likes what he's witnessed from the 2016-17 NBA MVP so far in training camp.

"He's been a huge presence on the ball defensively, and he's gotten after it: a lot of multiple efforts, in terms of navigating screens and still getting to the player with a contest," Ham said. "He's one of our better athletes still, athletic at an elite level. He's been really, really efficient in terms of his play offensively. And like everybody else, he's putting his money where his mouth is by actually doing what we've been asking."

Westbrook has been the focus of trade rumors throughout the summer, but his lackluster 2021-22 season combined with a $47.1 million base salary for 2022-23 leaves a limited number of potential suitors. If the Lakers want to move him, it'll likely cost them multiple first-round picks as an incentive for the team acquiring the 33-year-old UCLA product.

For his part, the California native told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times after Monday's game that he's trying to ignore the trade rumors.

"I'm super blessed and thankful for what I have and what I've been given," Westbrook said. "I've got an unbelievable support system, family, leaning on my faith. Everything else will take care of itself. So, all summer, my whole life, I've been hearing the stories about myself. That's not going to change today. So, nothing new for me. I'm going to continue to keep my head down, focus on competing. And everything else will take care of itself."

The Lakers have other options at the point, including Patrick Beverley and Dennis Schröder, so a starting role isn't guaranteed for Westbrook. He'll have to earn his minutes, which is motivation to follow Ham's instructions, starting at the defensive end.

L.A.'s most direct path back toward contention is a major bounce-back season from Westbrook combined with healthy years from LeBron James and Anthony Davis. If they check all three of those boxes, there should be enough depth to make noise in the West.

The trade rumors probably won't fade away, especially on nights like Monday when the Lakers lose by 30, but for now, it appears the franchise is going to give its current group a chance to open the season strongly before making any drastic moves.

Next up on the team's preseason slate is a battle with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday.