Lakers Acquire Russell Westbrook in Blockbuster Trade
The Los Angeles Lakers have finally landed the third star they need, trading Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and the 22nd pick for Russell Westbrook and second-round picks in 2024 and 2028*. The trade comes after weeks of speculation and non-stop rumors, and now the Lakers’ race for their 18th championship is on.
*UPDATE: On August 4, 2021, the original trade was expanded to be a five-team deal, which is the most teams involved in a trade since a 13-player blockbuster in 2005. The full trade is as follows:
- Lakers receive: Russell Westbrook, 2024 second-round pick, 2028 second-round pick (all via WAS), Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick (via WAS)
- Wizards receive: Harrell, Kuzma, KCP, Spencer Dinwiddie (signed-and-traded from BKN), Aaron Holiday (via IND), Isaiah Todd (31st pick via IND)
- Pacers receive: Isaiah Jackson (22nd pick via WAS)
- Nets receive: 2024 second-round pick and 2025 pick-swap (via WAS)
- Spurs receive: Chandler Hutchison and 2024 second-round pick (via WAS)
How Westbrook Helps the Lakers
Russ finally gives the Lakers the true playmaker they have been looking for, shifting that pressure away from LeBron, who started at the 1 for the first time in his career back in 2019. Westbrook averaged 22.2 PPG, 11.5 RPG, and 11.7 APG while shooting nearly 44% from the field, 31.5% from three, and 65.6% from the free-throw line. With regards to transition offense, he helped the Wizards record the most transition points per game this season (24.9), attain 1.14 Points Per Possession, and finish with a scoring frequency of 52.3%. For a Lakers team that struggled in transition offense last year, Westbrook will alleviate those worries and lead the flashy fast-breaks we are bound to witness this season. In addition, this move means that LeBron will shift to the small forward slot while AD stays at the 4.
How Will the Lakers Fill the Holes?
Even though Westbrook is an amazing playmaker who will benefit the Lakers’ up-tempo playing style, the main weaknesses in his game are shooting and defense, two areas that the team will be addressing this offseason.
There have been numerous reports that players are willing to take veteran minimum contracts to don the purple and gold, and there is no doubt that the Lakers will be searching for shooters to round out the roster. There are a plethora of names they could go after, including Wayne Ellington, Rudy Gay, and JJ Redick, all of them being respectable three-point shooters throughout their careers. Also, assuming they are brought back, Alex Caruso and Talen Horton-Tucker will have larger roles under Frank Vogel, especially now that Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is gone.
Aside from long-range snipers, the Lakers will need solid defenders to compensate for Westbrook’s struggles on that end. The 32-year-old averaged 1.4 SPG and 0.4 BPG last year, but playing in a system that earned a league-best defensive rating of 106.8, his weaknesses on that side should hopefully become his strengths. One player the Lakers are intrigued by is Bucks forward P.J. Tucker, who is a standout defender that can also knock down the occasional corner three. Another option could be Carmelo Anthony, who, along with Gay, has also been heavily linked to the Lakers in the past couple of days.
There have been many Laker and NBA fans who are not pleased with the Westbrook trade, citing the issues with spacing and how it will be exploited come playoff time. It is crucial to remember that we do not know what other moves Rob Pelinka has up his sleeve, but surely various 3-and-D players will be targets for him once free agency begins.
Conclusion
The Lakers made the first splash of the summer, and it is up to Pelinka and the rest of the front office to fill out the roster wisely if the LakeShow want to re-assert their dominance and surpass Boston for the most championships.
