Lakers Rumors: D’Angelo Russell & New Additions Expected To Debut Saturday Vs. Warriors
D'Angelo Russell, Lakers, T'Wolves
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to one of the NBA’s several pre-deadline blockbuster trades on Wednesday. In a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz, the Lakers reportedly sent out Russell Westbrook, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson and a lightly-protected 2027 first-round pick for D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt.

The trade puts an end to a difficult Westbrook era in Los Angeles, bringing new hope that the Lakers can be a competitive team in 2023. They have some ground to make up, as they sit two games back of a spot in the Play-In Tournament and 4.5 games back of the Playoffs at No. 6.

Reportedly, Russell, Vanderbilt and Beasley will have to wait until Saturday to make their Lakers debuts — or in Russell’s case, a second debut — as they won’t be able to get physicals done in time prior to Thursday, according to Dan Woike of The L.A. Times:

The Lakers face the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, meaning they’ll be slightly short-handed for that contest. Russell, Vanderbilt and Beasley might be with their new team, but they won’t be in uniform. L.A. will also obviously be without Westbrook, Toscano-Anderson and Jones.

They will also be without Thomas Bryant, who was reportedly traded to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday for Davon Reed and three second-rounders. It’s likely that Reed’s purple and gold debut will also be on Saturday.

If the Lakers make any other moves before Thursday’s deadline, it’s possible they could be extremely short-handed against one of the best teams in the league. A loss would drop L.A. to six games below .500.

Lakers reportedly looking to deal excess guard depth

The next issue the Lakers must face before the trade deadline is a significant amount of guards. The team now has Russell, Beasley, Patrick Beverley, Dennis Schroder, Austin Reaves and Lonnie Walker IV. This over-saturation is not only taking away from other positions, but is putting L.A. in a bad spot with regard to playing time.

Perhaps one or more of these players could be dealt before Thursday’s deadline, with Bojan Bogdanovic continuing to be a name the Lakers have interest in. Little time remains to get a deal done, but at-the-buzzer trades are a staple of the NBA’s always exciting trade deadline.

Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!

You May Also Like

NBA Rumors: Elimination Of ‘One-And-Done’ Rule May Not Come Until 2020 Draft

Since taking the helm as NBA commissioner in 2014, Adam Silver hasn’t shied away from implementing significant…

Knicks Head Coach Tom Thibodeau Praises Cam Reddish For Embracing Role With Lakers

When the Los Angeles Lakers signed Cam Reddish to a minimum contract, it was unclear how…

Former Lakers All-Star Pau Gasol Signs With FC Barcelona

Former Los Angeles Lakers All-Star and soon-to-be Hall of Famer Pau Gasol has signed a contract to return to…

Lakers Rumors: Interest In Trading For Nets’ Cameron Johnson

So far the Los Angeles Lakers failed to make any significant roster additions this summer and at this stage…