For the second time in three years, the Los Angeles Lakers have gone all-in to acquire a star.
On Thursday, the Lakers agreed to trade Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the No. 22 pick (Kentucky’s Isaiah Jackson) to the Washington Wizards for Russell Westbrook, a 2024 second-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick, The Athletic reported. The deal won’t be official until Aug. 6, when the NBA moratorium ends and Kuzma’s three-year, $40 million contract extension kicks in.
The trade gives the Lakers a third All-Star next to LeBron James and Anthony Davis, beefing up the roster’s shot creation and playmaking. Los Angeles had been pursuing a splashy move, ideally for a point guard, as The Athletic’s Sam Amick reported earlier this week. Westbrook checks that box, even if the on-court fit with him, James and Davis isn’t seamless.
Westbrook, 32 (he’ll turn 33 in November), recently played some of the best basketball of his career in Houston and Washington. He surged during the second half of last season, averaging 23.0 points, 14.0 assists and 13.
