Sacramento Kings Receive: F Wenyen Gabriel, G/F Max Christie, 2023 Second-Round Pick (CHI via LAL) 

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F Trey Lyles 

For some fans, the fact that Westbrook couldn’t be moved without sweeteners is still a shock. How did we get here? 

After all, it wasn’t so long ago that Westbrook was one of the best players in the NBA. Prior to him, nobody had averaged a triple-double over the course of a season since Oscar Robertson in the 1960s. That’s a long time before Y2K. Westbrook did it for three consecutive seasons. 

It was a remarkable run. Moreover, that statistical production hardly declined up until this season. Instead, it was the value of that production that came to decline. 

There are fair questions to ask about whether Westbrook’s brand of basketball facilitates winning. His ball dominance tends to isolate other players and his decision-making is questionable.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Trey Lyles, Sacramento Kings & Los Angeles Lakers Updates

Perhaps most notably, his inability to shoot makes him a challenging fit alongside other stars. 

By now, it’s clear that Westbrook doesn’t fit with this Lakers squad. Does adding Lyles offset those issues?