The Los Angeles Lakers had been looking at several options for trading the 34-year-old point guard Russell Westbrook for a long time. But as the Thursday trade deadline was approaching, the Lakers were getting wary of a transfer failure. The front office and the fans of the Lakers franchise believed that Russell Westbrook’s value in their roster was only due to his name and fame. In the last two seasons, Westbrook has significantly underperformed. He was unable to contribute to the team with his skills on the court. Albeit, since the beginning of the new year 2023, the level of his performances in the last few matches improved a little. However, it did not do the team very well, as the Lakers are still dawdling at the 13th seed of the Western Conference table.
They have won 25 games but lost 30 in the current season. The Lakers are looking for fresh and new legs in their roster to get ready for the future. But also players who are in good form. When the team is in dire need of a change in their roster, they cannot keep a veteran who is not performing as expected. And hence not fitting in the roster.
How Does The Lakers Roster look Like After The Trade?
That’s precisely why the Kyrie Irving deal excited the front office and the Lakers fans. But everything happens when it’s meant to be. So the agreement between the Nets and the Lakers about Irving in exchange for Westbrook and a few first-round picks of 2027 and 2029 did not work out.
Even LeBron James expressed his disappointment regarding the failure of trading in his old teammate, Kyrie Irving. So the Lakers started looking at other options for trading the point guard. Finally, Utah Jazz came to their rescue. Actually, the Lakers made a deal with two teams, Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves. According to the agreement, the Los Angeles Lakers will get D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt. The Lakers traded Westbrook to the Jazz along with first-round picks of 2027 and the first four picks’ protection. Furthermore, the Jazz traded Mike Conley to the Timberwolves along with three second-round choices.
Mixed Reaction On Westbrook Trade
With this deal, there are mixed feelings from Lakers players and fans. Patrick Beverley, who joined the Lakers in 2022, came after staying with Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2021-2022 seasons. So he is very excited to see his former Timberwolves teammate, D’Angelo Russell, in his new team. Beverley tweeted, “The gang is back.”
On the other hand, the Lakers star, LeBron James’s son, is probably not too happy with trading Westbrook to the Jazz. Bryce, the youngest son of King James, shared an Instagram story using the caption, “L.” This Instagram post hints that he is not totally happy. Perhaps the reason is that the older brother of Bryce, Bronny is a big fan of Russell Westbrook. And he is a significant influence on the youngest son of James as well. Both the brothers sure have grown up watching the 34-year-old point guard at his prime. Now only time will tell if the trade is a successful or an unsuccessful one.
