If you wanted a big swing for the fences on NBA Draft Day, the Los Angeles Lakers are here for you. And as Russell Westbrook hopes to go back home to Los Angeles to play professionally, the Lakers are also here for him.
Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting the Lakers are in the process of trading Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the 22nd pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook, though the draft pick has yet to be determined. This move is an effort for the Lakers to solve an issue they’ve had, even in their title run of 2020, with generating offense that isn’t centered around LeBron James. For the Wizards, it’s a chance to reset some of the depth they have, and maybe build a more well-rounded team around Bradley Beal.
How does this trade grade out for both sides? Let’s bust out the red ink and start marking up this test!
Lakers receive Russell Westbrook
This is certainly a bold move by the Lakers. Remember when Russell Westbrook’s contract was untradable? Turns out he’s very tradable, because he keeps getting traded.
