Getty Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley, then of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers made a big-time move ahead of the trade deadline. They shipped out Russell Westbrook in a three-team deal that also involved the Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz. In the trade, the Lakers received D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt.
After the deal was reported, Patrick Beverley, who was teammates with Russell on the Timberwolves last season, tweeted out his delighted response.
“The gang is Back❤️,” Beverley wrote, quote-tweeting an image of him and Russell on the Timberwolves.
In the trade, Westbrook was sent to the Jazz, who will reportedly buy him out. The Lakers also sent Utah their 2027 first-round pick with protections on the first four picks. Meanwhile, Minnesota received Mike Conley and three second-rounders.
Adding Russell to the mix could give the Lakers a huge boost in terms of perimeter shot creation. His shooting and shot-making abilities will complement LeBron James and Anthony Davis very well. With Westbrook on the roster, LA’s perimeter shot-making was a bit rough.
Beasley will also help out in that regard. The Lakers need some help on the wing, and Beasley can provide them with solid shooting alongside Lonnie Walker IV, who has blossomed with the Lakers this season. Whether or not Beasley will start in LA is to be determined, but he could thrive in either role.
Lastly, Vanderbilt will help out the Lakers in a different way. He’s not a shooter, nor is he a scorer. However, he’s a great defender and will give the Lakers a won of support on that side of the court. Plus, he’s an above-average rebounder for his size, which will also help.
Russell Westbrook Had ‘Heated’ Confrontation
The Lakers trade went through on February 8 – just one day after Westbrook was reportedly involved in a heated confrontation with head coach Darvin Ham. Westbrook was subbed out late in the second quarter, and Ham took exception to how long it took the veteran guard to get off of the court.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on the details the day after the incident, which came in the Lakers’ February 7 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder (the same night James broke the NBA’s all-time scoring record).
“ESPN Sources: Lakers G Russell Westbrook and coach Darvin Ham had a brief, heated verbal exchange in the halftime locker room on Tuesday vs. OKC. Ham expressed frustration with how Westbrook lingered on the playing floor after getting subbed out of game late in second quarter,” Wojnarowski tweeted.
LeBron James Confident in Lakers Title Hopes
After the Lakers failed to trade for Kyrie Irving, James did an interview with Michael Wilbon of ESPN. During the interview, he revealed that he is still confident in the Lakers’ ability to make a championship run this season. This trade should only help their odds.
“Since we won the championship in 2020, health has been on the wrong side of our franchise,” he told Wilbon. “… We know there’s gonna be nicks and bruises. Games off here, games off there. We understand that. But for the majority, if we can be healthy going down the later stretch of the season, we give ourselves a good chance.”