Tag: Malik Beasley

D’Angelo Russell/Russell Westbrook trade: How it impacts Lakers, Wolves and Jazz

The eve of the trade deadline featured one of the bigger names that many were anticipating to get dealt. Wednesday’s three-team trade saw the Lakers end the Russell Westbrook era by moving him, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and a 2027 …

The eve of the trade deadline featured one of the bigger names that many were anticipating to get dealt. Wednesday’s three-team trade saw the Lakers end the Russell Westbrook era by moving him, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and a 2027 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz for a package that includes former Laker D’Angelo Russell as well as Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt. In exchange for Russell, the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker as well as several second-round picks from the Jazz.

Here is the breakdown of the trade and how it impacts each team.

Lakers title odds bounce back in a big way after three-team trade

This was a win for the Lakers. The odds don’t lie.

The Los Angeles Lakers desperately needed to make a move at this year’s trade deadline, and management delivered Wednesday.

LA landed D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley in a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, bolstering their roster for a playoff push in the stretch run of the season.

At 25-30, the Lakers are 13th in the West and two games out of a play-in spot, but their title odds jumped from +5000 before the trade to +2500 afterwards at BetMGM. The new odds are near the +2000 LA had reached after being rumored to land Kyrie Irving, and they rank seventh in the West.

The odds for Minnesota and Utah didn’t move one bit after the deal, though that was expected at least on the part of the Jazz, who are rebuilding.

As for the Timberwolves, it’s still not completely clear what they’re trying to do.

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Russell Westbrook-D’Angelo Russell trade has been finalized

After months of speculation, the Lakers have finally traded Russell Westbrook and will be getting D’Angelo Russell and two other players.

Early on Wednesday afternoon, reports surfaced that the Los Angeles Lakers were in serious discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves regarding a trade that would bring them guard D’Angelo Russell while sending out Russell Westbrook.

The proposed trade also involved the Utah Jazz and would have Westbrook become a member of their squad.

According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, the trade is now final.

In addition to getting Russell, the Lakers will also land big man Jarred Vanderbilt and guard Malik Beasley. This deal will make them significantly younger. Westbrook is 34, while Russell, Vanderbilt and Beasley are 26, 23 and 26, respectively.

Los Angeles will also give up forward Juan Toscano-Anderson and center Damian Jones, as well as a 2027 first-round draft pick that will have some lottery protection.

Russell is having a nice season, averaging 17.9 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 46.5% overall and 39.1% from 3-point range.

His shooting percentages have been up and down over the years, but if he continues to shoot well from downtown, he will significantly help L.A. address its biggest need: 3-point shooting.

Russell played his first two seasons with the Purple and Gold before being sent to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that brought Kyle Kuzma to the team.

Vanderbilt is a 6-foot-8, 214-pound big man who is a good rebounder and has some defensive potential. Beasley has been inconsistent, but has potential as an instant offense player.

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Lakers and Jazz have talked about deal that would involve Russell Westbrook

The Lakers have reportedly had discussions with the Jazz about a trade that would likely disappoint many fans in Los Angeles.

With just a couple of days to go before the NBA trade deadline, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the clock to find a way to make themselves into a legitimate playoff team, if not a championship contender.

Kyrie Irving is off the table, leaving them with modest and even underwhelming potential trade options.

Los Angeles’ weaknesses include 3-point shooting and defense, and the Lakers are still shopping Russell Westbrook, even though he has played somewhat better this season coming off the bench.

Reportedly, the team has discussed trading him and two first-round draft picks to the Utah Jazz for a package of role players, including veteran point guard Mike Conley and shooting guard Malik Beasley.

Via ESPN (h/t Lakers Daily):

“For example, sources said the Jazz have had discussions about a deal in which a combination of rotation players including Conley and Beasley would go to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for 2027 and 2029 first-round picks and Russell Westbrook, who would likely receive a buyout instead of joining the Jazz.”

Such a trade would likely anger Lakers fans, as Conley appears to be over the hill while Beasley’s numbers have dropped over the past two years.

Both are decent, but not great, 3-point shooters, but both are shooting under 41% overall from the field this season.

The trade deadline is 3 p.m. New York time on Thursday.

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Ranking the 20 most interesting NBA players who could get traded and where each may go

A look at the players who could be dealt by Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline is one week from Thursday, and while it might seem quieter than normal, there could still be a lot of activity.

Even if there isn’t a looming blockbuster move like when the Nets and Sixers swapped James Harden and Ben Simmons last season, there are teams around the league that could have an entirely different roster before the beginning of the All-Star break.

While there are some obvious sellers (e.g. Pistons, Hornets, Spurs, Rockets), others (e.g. Raptors, Pacers, Jazz) have slightly less clear intentions.

Based on the latest rumors and intel provided by insiders around the NBA, these are the players considered most likely to get traded — and where each player is rumored to go.

But remember: The trade deadline is always full of surprises. No one in the league predicted the Kings would have traded Tyrese Haliburton last season! So in addition to these players, expect the unexpected.

Lakers are targeting three Jazz players in potential Westbrook trade

The Lakers are reportedly interested in trading Russell Westbrook to the Jazz for Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.

At this point of the offseason, it appears the only possible path to a Russell Westbrook trade for the Los Angeles Lakers is the Utah Jazz.

The teams are reportedly having ongoing discussions to get a deal done.

The signing of veteran guard Dennis Schroder has led some fans and observers to think a Westbrook trade is near, although there is no evidence to suggest that.

But the Lakers are continuing their efforts to make such a deal happen, and they’re reportedly zeroing in on three Jazz players: Bojan Bogdanovic, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley.

Via The Athletic:

“In recent conversations with the Jazz, the Lakers have targeted Bogdanović, Jordan Clarkson and Malik Beasley, according to league sources,” wrote Jovan Buha and Sam Amick.

One big need for the Lakers is accurate 3-point shooting, and Bogdanovic and Beasley would help address that weakness. Beasley and Clarkson would give them two reliable options at the 2 spot, although the latter isn’t a very efficient scorer.

Still, Clarkson is just a calendar year removed from winning the Sixth Man of the Year award, and, of course, he played his first three-and-a-half seasons with the Purple and Gold.

Training camp will start Sept. 26 with media day.

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3 trades Sixers can offer to Jazz to acquire Jordan Clarkson, others

Here are three trades the Philadelphia 76ers can offer to the Utah Jazz to acquire Jordan Clarkson and two others who make sense for them.

It appears that the Utah Jazz are in the middle of a complete fire sale as they have moved both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell this offseason as they move toward their new future. They also traded Royce O’Neale at the beginning of the offseason as well.

Therefore, it would make sense for veterans such as Jordan Clarkson, Rudy Gay, and Malik Beasley to be available for a deal. Those three make the most sense for the Sixers in a deal due to the idea that the team could always use another ball-handler and more wing players.

Here are three trades the Sixers can make to acquire each player from the Jazz that works for both sides. A special thank you to cap specialist Yossi Gozlan for helping with the logistics of each deal and making sure the money works:

5 trades Sixers can make to move Danny Green, No. 23 pick to help now

Here are 5 trades the Philadelphia 76ers can make to move Danny Green and the No. 23 pick that will help them right away.

The Philadelphia 76ers are in the midst of trying to position themselves to make moves in the offseason to put the right pieces around Joel Embiid and James Harden in order to make them legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference.

In order to clear enough cap space to make the moves they want to make–see P.J. Tucker–they have to make a trade leading up to Thursday’s NBA draft which kicks off at 8 p.m. EST.

The Sixers have been known to have been aggressively shopping veteran Danny Green as well as the No. 23 pick they own in Thursday’s draft. They haven’t made a deal just yet, but with the help of cap specialist Yossi Gozlan, Sixers Wire has come up with five trades to move Green and the pick in order to find immediate help for the Sixers.

Note: In order for any of the following trades to work, any players mentioned with non-guaranteed salaries like Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Isaiah Joe would need to have their salaries guaranteed for these deals to work.

Ja Morant absolutely brutalized the Timberwolves with an incredible, full-extension dunk

MY GOD JA!

Ja Morant isn’t human.

Tuesday night’s first round matchup between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies was quite the chaotic affair. With the series tied at 2-2, the Timberwolves had a 85-72 lead on the Grizzlies late in the third quarter.

Looking to spark his team, Morant made one of the most absolutely brutal full-extension dunks we’ve ever seen. With time winding down in the third, Morant went up and over Malik Beasley to slam down this dunk with so much emphasis that it awoke the home Grizzlies crowd with a fervent roar.

Seriously, this dunk from Morant is a work of absolute art.

Listen to the sound that dunk makes too. Just absolutely heavenly. And here it is from multiple angles, just because.

What a dunk and what a player!

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Celtics trade rumors: Boston’s Marcus Smart reportedly a target for Minnesota Timberwolves

The proposed offer does not seem an especially strong one, however.

With the remaining 2022 NBA trade deadline now amounting to less than a full week, the river of trade rumors flowing even just a few days ago has begun to slow to a trickle. But one such nugget percolating to the top of the NBA media sphere this Friday morning is word that the Minnesota Timberwolves have eyes for veteran Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart. Per local broadcaster Darren Wolfson on the sports radio network KSTP SKOR North, that “Minnesota is definitely trying to trade for Marcus Smart.”

“But,” he adds, “unless they include a first-round pick or Jaden McDaniels in addition to Malik Beasley, (a deal) most likely doesn’t get done.” That may be something of an understatement given Smart’s established value and particularly given his recent play.

Beasley has had a troubled recent past apart even from the fact Smart has been a better player this and most seasons of their respective careers. The upside appears minimal with considerable risk of making Boston’s situation worse both on and off the court.

While there may indeed be interest on the part of Minnesota, with the framework being proposed above, it seems unlikely we will be seeing the Flower Mound native heading to the T-Wolves any time soon.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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