The Los Angeles Lakers made a big splash on the day before the NBA trade deadline (and three more splashes on the day of) by agreeing to a three-team deal that saw them send out Russell Westbrook and a top-four protected, 2027 first-round pick in exchange for former Laker DeAngelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves, guard Malik Beasley and wing Jarred Vanderbilt from the Utah Jazz.
All three will be key rotation pieces for this Lakers team and deserve their own breakdown based on their individual merit. Accordingly, this piece focuses on the 6’8 (7’1 wingspan!