Since they traded for Russell Westbrook two summers ago, the Los Angeles Lakers have lived in a netherworld of endless ridicule and mediocre play.
Although Westbrook played better for a spell earlier this season after being moved to the bench, his athletic decline and awkward fit stuck out like sore thumbs, and many felt the team was being held down by his mere presence.
General manager Rob Pelinka has been subjected to a boatload of criticism, not just for acquiring a bad fit such as Westbrook, but for also wasting assets such as Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the team’s 2021 first-round draft pick, all of which were jettisoned to get the guard.
But Los Angeles took a big step back toward respectability by dealing Westbrook and a lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick for D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in a three-team trade first reported late Wednesday and announced Thursday morning.
While this trade may not make the team championship contenders, at least not yet, it was pretty much a slam dunk for it and its beleaguered executive.
The Lakers scored a major win with this move for several reasons.