Russell Westbrook is officially out of the Lakers. He has been traded in a three-way deal between the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz. This comes just a day after Westbrook was allegedly involved in an altercation with Lake Show Head Coach Darvin Ham.
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The Lakers will acquire D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt while Timberwolves get Mike Conley Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. They also get three second-round picks. Meanwhile, Utah Jazz will receive Russell Westbrook along with a protected first-round pick.
Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are finalizing trade sending D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to Los Angeles, Russell Westbrook and first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. and second-round pick compensation to Minnesota, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2023
Bulls and Clippers interested in Russell Westbrook
As soon as the trade was announced, a few teams have shown their interest to get Westbrook off of Utah’s hands. Perhaps being in a team where he runs the point may return him back to his glory days. NBA Insider Chris Haynes revealed two important updates after Brodie’s trade that present a promising future for the guard.
First, the Chicago Bulls seem to be interested in him and want to acquire him. Secondly, the LA Clippers are also interested in Westbrook and will push for a potential trade.
Haynes on his Instagram wrote: “The Chicago Bulls are interested in signing Russell Westbrook should he secure a buyout from the Utah Jazz, league sources tell” He further claimed, “In three-team deal being discussed between Lakers, Wolves and Jazz, a buyout for Russell Westbrook in Utah would be the likely path, league sources tell.”
Would Westbrook fit with the Clippers or with the Bulls?
Before joining the Lakers, Russ was an exceptional scorer and passer. In LA, he has lost much of that charm. Because of LeBron’s presence and his own deteriorating shot selection, Westbrook suffered a horrible tenure with the Lakers.
This doesn’t mean he has all of a sudden lost his ability to take the ball to the rim or to dish out a beautiful pass. It just means that the Lakers were not a good fit for him, especially with LeBron James controlling most of the ball.
That being said, Westbrook should be a good fit for both the Bulls and the Clippers. Both teams lack a primary handler. Though the Clippers have John Wall, his unreliability and injury-prone season so far have been concerning. Russell Westbrook could be a great alternative for Wall.
