LeBron James is finally getting some help. The reinforcements may not be stars in Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan, or Nikola Vucevic who were heavily rumored to be acquired by the Los Angeles Lakers, but they do have some names that now push the team to playoff contenders.
The Lakers have reacquired D’Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade. They also availed the services of Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. In return, they managed to ship Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz. The Timberwolves will receive Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker along with picks.
In addition to Westbrook, Utah will also receive Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, and a 2027 Lakers first-round pick(top-four protected)
What the Lakers' new starting five could look like 👀 pic.twitter.com/H49XOFLLmf
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 9, 2023
With this, the Lakers’ starting lineup will see major changes with Russell and Beasley coming in as the guards. Rui Hachimura and LeBron James will take the forward positions, and Anthony Davis now slots in at the five.
The departure of Russell Westbrook will almost certainly see Dennis Schroder take up Sixth man duties, while Thomas Bryant will serve as the backup center. The return of Austin Reaves will add more teeth to the Lakers’ bench that also has some experience in Patrick Beverley.
What Does The Trade Mean For The Lakers?
For starters, the trade now makes them genuine playoff contenders. Russell and Beasley’s foray into LA will help their lackluster 3-point shooting (which they rank 26th in the league). Both players come in with solid numbers. While Russell averages 17.9 points and 6.2 assists, Beasley comes in with 13.4 points and has drained 35.9% of his 3-pointers for Utah.
Vanderbilt’s defense will bolster the Lakers on that front, but they will still need Davis to continue his production if they intend to be consistent on the scoring end.
They don’t have a ton of time to mesh though. At the time of writing, the Lakers are 25-30 and are yet to break into the Top 10 in the West that’s already stacked with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant exiting from the Brooklyn Nets to power up the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns respectively.
All said and done, the Lakers have work to do, and they don’t have time on their side. Can they still make the last-ditch playoff push? Only time will tell.
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