After months and months of rumors and speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers finally made an agreement on a Russell Westbrook trade, sending him, Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones to the Utah Jazz. The Lakers will be acquiring D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt with Mike Conley going to the Minnesota Timberwolves, according to reports.
Rob Pelinka was able to execute the deal while only sending one top-four protected first-round pick in 2027 to Utah with the Jazz sending a trio of second-rounders to Minnesota.
The trade marks the end of Westbrook’s 1.5-year tenure with his hometown team. The expectation is that he will be bought out with the Jazz though, allowing him to sign with any team other than the Lakers. According to Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report, he may be staying home as the L.A. Clippers and Chicago Bulls are among the teams that will have interest:
Should Russell Westbrook secure a buyout from the Utah Jazz after the three-team trade is complete, the Los Angeles Clippers are said to have interest in the star guard, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 9, 2023
The Chicago Bulls are interested in signing Russell Westbrook should he secure a buyout with the Utah Jazz, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 9, 2023
Even though things didn’t work out for Westbrook with the Lakers, hopefully the two sides were able to part ways amicably and there are no hard feelings.
Westbrook has shown this season that he is willing to buy into a bench role and can still have success in spurts, making him an attractive candidate for the minimum on the buyout market.
This marks a new chapter for the Lakers bringing in three young players with upside in Russell, Beasley and Vanderbilt. It’s obviously a reunion with Russell, who they drafted second overall in 2015 out of Ohio State.
Lakers not done?
Considering the Lakers only traded one of their two available first-round picks, it will be interesting to see if Pelinka has any more deals up his sleeve before Thursday’s 12 p.m. PT trade deadline.
At 25-30, the Lakers have a lot of ground to make up if they want to get back in playoff contention in a crowded Western Conference race.
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