Los Angeles Lakers star point guard Russell Westbrook has been involved in trade rumors constantly over his tenure in Los Angeles. Those rumors finally came to fruition Wednesday in a huge three-team trade that will have huge ramifications for multiple teams.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Lakers, Utah Jazz, and Minnesota Timberwolves are finalizing a trade that will send D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt to Los Angeles. The Jazz will receive Russell Westbrook and a Lakers first-round pick, while the Timberwolves will receive Mike Conley and a second-round pick.
Many around the NBA world are extremely happy to see that Westbrook’s rocky tenure in Los Angeles is over.
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For the time being, he will be headed to Utah, but there appears to be a high chance that Westbrook may potentially be bought out by the organization.
Meanwhile, the Lakers bring back Russell, who played for the organization for two seasons after initially being drafted No.2 overall by them in the 2015 NBA Draft. His tenure in Los Angeles ended prematurely after his infamous snitching incident involving former NBA player Nick Young.
Westbrook’s fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis in Los Angeles was never comfortable for anyone involved. Russell is a much more efficient shooter who could be a great floor spacer for the Lakers moving forward.
Los Angeles currently sits at just 25-30 on the outside of the playoff picture of the Western Conference. This trade seems like it was a last-ditch effort for the organization to turn things around and make a potential playoff push in the second half of the NBA season.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.