After months and months of rumors, the Lakers have finally agreed to trade Russell Westbrook. They even got a decent value for him in return.
Westbrook, who had a heated verbal exchange with Lakers head coach Darvin Ham before he was eventually traded to the Jazz as part of a three-team deal, will have his minutes replaced in the rotation by D’Angelo Russell as well as Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley.
The Lakers, who also sent away Damian Jones and Juan Toscano-Anderson as part of the trade package, will look very different next time they are on the floor.
Their front office made multiple additional moves, including trading away Thomas Bryant and Patrick Bevrley while also trading for Mo Bamba.
Based on what we know so far, here is how we would project the rotation:
POINT GUARD: D'Angelo Russell
BACKUP: Dennis Schroder
While he had a brief stint in the second unit during his time with the Timberwolves, former No. 2 overall pick D’Angelo Russell is obviously returning to Los Angeles as the centerpiece of this trade package. He will play point guard in the first unit while Dennis Schroder will run the second unit.
SHOOTING GUARD: Malik Beasley
BACKUPS: Lonnie Walker IV, Davon Reed
Patrick Beverley was a starter in the backcourt for the Lakers before he was shipped away. But they will gain size and floor spacing by trading for Malik Beasley, who is attempting 11.5 shots from beyond the arc per 36 minutes.
SMALL FORWARD: Rui Hachimura
BACKUP: Austin Reaves, Max Christie
Since he was traded to the Lakers, former Wizards forward Rui Hachimura has started five of seven games for Los Angeles. He is likely a part of their future plans and will continue to provide a helpful blend of size and shooting for the starting five. Austin Reaves will definitely continue to get minutes, but this move may take rookie Max Christie out of the rotation.
POWER FORWARD: LeBron James
BACKUP: Jarred Vanderbilt, Troy Brown Jr.
LeBron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, is obviously the focal point of the Lakers. But the addition of Jarred Vanderbilt is going to bring a helpful spark to their defensive identity, too. Vanderbilt plays hard and he is a stellar defensive playmaker.
CENTER: Anthony Davis
BACKUP: Mo Bamba, Wenyen Gabriel
While it is a big hit losing Thomas Bryant, the Lakers made a savvy move by acquiring former lottery pick Mo Bamba from the Magic. He will give Los Angeles fantastic length in the frontcourt and he is also shooting a career-best 39.8 percent on 3-pointers.
