The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder last night in a game that wasn’t really about winning. It was about LeBron James passing up Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time regular season scoring list. He dropped 38 points to accomplish this feat but when you zoom out, the purple and gold needed that win.
Advertisement
As the 13th seed in the Western Conference with less than 30 games to go in the season, the Lakers need to rack up wins. Well, Rob Pelinka seems to have done exactly what the team needs in order for them to be competitive out West.
The Lakers have finalized a 3-team trade that would send Russell Westbrook and a lightly protected first round pick to the Utah Jazz. The Jazz in turn are sending Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to the Lakers and Mike Conley to the Timberwolves. The big name that’s going to the purple and gold however, is D’Angelo Russell.
Lakers fans react to Russell Westbrook trade
When it was announced that Russell Westbrook would be a Los Angeles Lakers player in 2021, it felt as though LA had gotten their own superstar big-3. Graphics were being made about how they were already a lock for the NBA Finals.
However, this didn’t work out all too well due to a litany of injuries and the glaring problem of not having a roster that meshed well with one another. Russell Westbrook was often berated for his lackluster play for the purple and gold and with him gone, fans of the team have taken to social media to express themselves.
Damn the lakers just got a whole lot better
— Robert (@Robert58767776) February 9, 2023
RUSS IS OUT LEBRONS SEASON STARTS NOW pic.twitter.com/qruVIQSuME
— Abhi (@abhik__10) February 9, 2023
LeGM in the lab finding a way to get rid of Russ for actual players pic.twitter.com/CdZAZVb9wo
— BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) February 9, 2023
WESTBRICK IS FINALLY GONE
— “Fun Guy” Pepper (@DrP3pper215) February 9, 2023
Of course, there were tons of other problems that the Lakers had that led to them barreling down the standings for two straight years but the blame unfortunately always seemed to be placed on Westbrook. Credit to him though for always being a professional through all the hubbub and scrutiny.
What’s next for Russell Westbrook?
The Utah Jazz weren’t trying to win this 2022-23 NBA season. They wanted a bottom tier record similar to that of the Pistons or the Rockets, hence them trading away Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. However, with all the assets they accumulated, they made a roster that actually fit well next to one another.
The Jazz even got themselves an All-Star in Lauri Markkanen. So, with Rusell Westbrook making it on the team in exchange for 3 essential pieces in Conley, Vanderbilt, and Beasley, the team will certainly start to lose more games.
As for Russ, he may very well get bought out of his contract given that he’s on an expiring contract. The market for the Jordan athlete looks to be dry however, so it’ll be interesting to see what teams are interested in signing him for a reasonable contract.