Russell Westbrook has been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Stealing headlines on NBA Draft night, the Washington Wizards traded Russell Westbrook to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for two second-round picks, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell, and the No. 22 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft (which was eventually traded to the Indiana Pacers).
While an agreement has been made, it can’t officially go through until Kyle Kuzma’s contract extension kicks in on August 6th. Due to Kuzma’s salary increasing from $3.5 Million to $13 million in the coming season, the Wizards would either have to wait until the new contract sets in or adjust the trade to accommodate the increased, average salary of Kuzma’s contract years (2021-24).
The Los Angeles Lakers were seeking a splash move
The appeal for the Lakers is clear, as adding a player of Russell Westbrook’s caliber while happening rather often in recent years, is nothing to scoff at. The nearly 33-year-old guard still poses a significant threat as a dribble-drive penetrator, skilled distributor, and absolute menace in transition.
It would indeed bring about one of the more dynamic and ‘Showtime’-Esque rosters that the Lakers have fielded in recent years, as the trio of Westbrook, James, and Davis are an extremely physically imposing group against the opponent’s front and backcourts.
So while Los Angeles bolsters its backcourt strength, the question remains as to what will become of current Laker Dennis Schroder. Schroder stands to command a contract somewhere in the range of $100 million, yet declined an $84 Million extension from the Lakers.
While his declining of the offer may signal his desire to get a more lucrative contract on a longer-scale deal, the definite desire from Los Angeles to acquire Westbrook would indicate that both Schröder and the Lakers are on the same page; that the two would be parting ways.
This is a trade Washington wants to make with Bradley Beal in mind, creating some salary cap flexibility for the future to add talent around him, sources tell ESPN. The idea of returning to his Los Angeles roots has been appealing to Westbrook.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2021
As for the Washington Wizards, their desires are to surround All-Star guard Bradley Beal with more talent in hopes of furthering their trips into the postseason, isolating Beal as the piece to build around. Adding Harrell, Kuzma, and Caldwell-Pope offer both youth and championship experience for a team that is in need of both.
Fresh starts for the Wizards-to-be could end up doing wonders for their development and their eventual rise. Furthermore, the Wizards’ acquisition of the #22 pick in Thursday night’s draft which became 6’10”, 208lb Forward Isaiah Jackson, allowed them to immediately flip their pick to Indiana in exchange for Aaron Holiday, as well as the #31 Pick (Isaiah Todd).
While the Lakers look to return to their championship heights with the addition of 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook, the Wizards are set on re-affirming their hopes to succeed with Beal as the franchise player, with enough complementary pieces to make a significant push in the Eastern Conference