Lakers Acquire Former MVP Russell Westbrook In Blockbuster Trade
By Jason Hall
July 29, 2021
UPDATE:
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Los Angeles Lakers have acquired point guard Russell Westbrook in exchange for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the No. 22 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, according to sources.
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Russell Westbrook is may soon be returning to his hometown.
The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly "near a deal" to acquire the former NBA Most Valuable Player in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards hours ahead of the 2021 NBA Draft.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports the Lakers will send Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a 2021 first-round pick to Washington in exchange for the nine-time all-star.
Westbrook, 32, a Long Beach native, was a two-year standout at the UCLA before being selected No. 4 overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2008 NBA Draft.
The point guard would join his fourth team in four years after spending his first 11 seasons with the Thunder, before joining the Houston Rockets in 2019 and the Wizards in 2020.
The Lakers are near a deal to acquire Washington's Russell Westbrook for Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and a 2021 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2021
Wojnarowski reports Washington is considering the trade in an attempt to create "some salary cap flexibility for the future to add talent around" all-star guard Bradley Beal and "the idea of returning to his Los Angeles roots has been appealing to Westbrook.
This is a trade Washington wants to make with Bradley Beal in mind, creating some salary cap flexibility for the future to add talent around him, sources tell ESPN. The idea of returning to his Los Angeles roots has been appealing to Westbrook.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2021
Still, there has not yet been an agreement in place and "work still to do" in relation to the deal, as the Lakers continue possible trade talks to acquire Sacramento Kings guard Buddy Hield, Wojnarowski reports.
There's no agreement in place and work still to do on a Westbrook/Lakers deal, but talks with Kings on a possible Hield deal had also been ongoing between two teams, sources said. https://t.co/FV78eXb1Wh
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 29, 2021
Westbrook enters his 14th NBA season with a career average of 22.3, 8.5 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game, while also averaging a triple double for the fourth time in his career in 2020-21.