Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: G Russell Westbrook, 2027 Unprotected First-Round Pick, 2028 Unprotected First-Round Pick
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G D’Angelo Russell, G Malik Beasley
This trade is all about future flexibility for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The picks coming from the Lakers in the far future could turn out to be extremely valuable either in the actual drafts or in any further deals that the T-Wolves would like to make.
With LeBron James entering his age-38 season next year and Anthony Davis as injury prone as ever, there’s a very high possibility that the Lakers will be bottom dwellers in 2026 and 2028.
They also grab Russell Westbrook who would be a boom or bust gamble for Minnesota. There’s a chance that his hard-nosed attitude and fearless slashing are the perfect elements to unlock the T-Wolves’ potential.
On the other hand, he could submarine any positive development that the young Wolves made last season and brick them straight out of the Play-In Tournament next season. Still, the Wolves could simply bench him or just wait for his $47 million contract to expire at the end of the year, giving them massive cap flexibility.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 2 Trade Packages To Send Bradley Beal To Los Angeles Lakers
For the Los Angeles Lakers, they reset their core around D’Angelo Russell, bringing his career full circle. Russell brings the outside shooting that Los Angeles’s roster severely lacks and proved a capable system defender in this past regular season, as well.
He’s also plenty capable of creating his own shot when needed; something he should find plenty of opportunities to do when the Lakers’ old and fragile stars need to “load manage.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: 2 Trade Packages To Send Bradley Beal To Los Angeles Lakers
Malik Beasley gives LeBron another catch-and-shoot target behind the arc and adds more youth and athleticism to a roster that’s begging for it. They’ll be hard-pressed to find a better move to get off of Russell Westbrook and prevent wasting another one of King James’s last years in the NBA.
