Russell Westbrook

Adding Westbrook and losing Vanderbilt and Beasley represents a serious roster shakeup for the 11th-place Utah Jazz. Westbrook doesn't fit the team's timeline, ...

[Patrick Beverley](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/beverpa01.html) to the Magic in exchange for [Mo Bamba](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bambamo01.html). His veteran leadership will be huge for a struggling locker room and should help [Rudy Gobert](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/goberru01.html?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.baseball-reference.com&utm_campaign=2023-02-09_bbr) offensively. The deal opens up more room in the Lakers’ guard rotation for [Austin Reaves](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/r/reaveau01.html), [Dennis Schroder](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/schrode01.html), and [Lonnie Walker](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/walkelo01.html). Bryant was a strong fill-in for [Anthony Davis](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/davisan02.html) while Davis was hurt, but Bryant’s weakness on defense makes him unreliable as a backup center. Bamba will have limited minutes behind Davis at the center position and could be fantasy relevant for games that Davis rests. [Walker Kessler](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/k/kesslwa01.html) continued to impress the Utah coaches and front office. Losing Russell Westbrook and adding D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley is a huge deal for the struggling Lakers. Russell looks locked in to be the Lakers' new point guard. Russell will have plenty of room to get his shots in. But that’ll be hard to do if they’re going to give any minutes to the ball-dominant Westbrook. Olynyk is worth adding to see what the Utah offense will look like. Adding Westbrook and losing Vanderbilt and Beasley represents a serious roster shakeup for the 11th-place Utah Jazz.

NBA fans and media members react to the biggest moves at the trade deadline, including the Lakers trading Russell Westbrook.

[he tweeted](https://twitter.com/forumbluegold/status/1623504750074540034). Co-host of the “Lakers Film Room” podcast Darius Soriano expressed optimism about the trade. [tweeted NBA Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett](https://twitter.com/KevinGarnett5KG/status/1623499494263341058). “You got more athletic, you got a real rebounder. Dumping him with a protected first for this haul of three players might just save their season.” Hell of a move for everybody.” “Lakers got shooting, scoring and athletic wing. The Lakers traded point guard and L.A. [Colin Cowherd in a Twitter video](https://twitter.com/ColinCowherd/status/1623512932314382336?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet). [thoughts on Twitter](https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorNBA/status/1623502436873932800) on Wednesday, writing, “Acquiring Russell Westbrook is one of the biggest mistakes in the history of the Lakers. [he tweeted](https://twitter.com/rolopez42/status/1623588927863939073). [sources familiar with the deal told the Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/sports/lakers/story/2023-02-08/lakers-trade-russell-westbrook-dangelo-russell-timberwolves-jazz).

After a tumultuous 18 months, the Lakers and Russell Westbrook finally moved on from one another. As part of a three-team deal with the Utah Jazz and ...

After Irving was traded to Dallas on Sunday, he told ESPN’s Michael Wilbon that he was [“disappointed”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_fUNJPR5x8) the Lakers didn’t land his former running mate. [Utah Jazz](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/jazz/) and [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/timberwolves/), the Lakers traded Westbrook, [Juan Toscano-Anderson](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/juan-toscano-anderson-EdadkV0srbvTOjpK/), [Damian Jones](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/damian-jones-UMnCOlAwvmwVZkdt/) and a first-round pick to Utah, and a 2024 second-round pick to Minnesota, [league sources told The Athletic on Wednesday](https://theathletic.com/4168855/2023/02/08/lakers-trade-russell-westbrook-dangelo-russell/). But when this three-team deal was finally done, with the very real possibility of missing the playoffs a driving force for these underachieving Lakers and more roster moves to come, this harrowing homecoming finally came to an end. The following day, when James was asked if Irving would help the Lakers, he made his view more transparently known by deeming it a [ ‘duh’ question](https://sports.yahoo.com/lebron-james-responds-duh-kyrie-192226858.html). [now often says](https://theathletic.com/4068034/2023/01/08/lebron-james-lakers-trades-frustration/) that roster management is vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka’s job, the proverbial separation of church and state didn’t exist when this deal went down. [conspicuously-timed tweet](https://twitter.com/kingjames/status/1621628645721755650?s=61&t=6ytNzwlwDdP9dOcVvzGNBw) on Friday, sharing the eyes-wide-open emoji and a champion’s crown not long after Irving asked for a trade out of Brooklyn. Never mind that he was just 18 months removed from leading the Lakers to the storied franchise’s 17th title in the Orlando bubble. From both ends of this spectrum – Westbrook’s maneuvering with Washington, James and Davis exerting their influence on the Lakers – this was a superstar-driven trade if ever there was one. As had been the case so many times before, when the coaching staff struggled with Westbrook’s unwillingness to be held accountable for his play, Westbrook wasn’t hearing it. So Ham, whose offseason pitch to land this coaching job had included a promise to communicate directly, candidly and fearlessly with his players, did just that when the team reached the locker room. That upset the bench and led to a more contentious argument between Westbrook and head coach Darvin Ham during intermission, as first reported by ESPN on Wednesday. Westbrook was sent to the Jazz, though he’s expected to be bought out and will command interest from the Clippers and Bulls, according to [The Athletic](https://twitter.com/LawMurrayTheNU/status/1623495680307396608) and [Turner Sports](https://twitter.com/ChrisBHaynes/status/1623503500088070146).

Nina Westbrook, the wife of Russell Westbrook, reacted to Dave McMenamin's comment about her husband. McMenamin, Ramone Shelburne, Brian Windhorst, ...

"A source!? "Westbrook was not going to be a part of the team after the summer. "On a personal note, I have school-aged children who have to listen to their peers repeat the nasty things that you guys say on television about their father.

Warriors forward Draymond Green has defended Russell Westbrook after Dave McMenamin likened Westbrook's trade to Utah to removing a vampire from the locker ...

That meaning, a vampire sucks the blood out of the locker room. “You get younger, you got shooting, you got switchable defenders, and as one source told me, you remove a vampire from the locker room. “This was the time to do it.

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green defended Utah Jazz point guard Russell Westbrook following a report from ESPN's Dave McMenamin on NBA Today...

Russell Westbrook's wife, Nina:

"I have school aged children who have to listen to their peers repeat the nasty things that you guys say on television about their father. Green also said that the "vampire" comment should be backed up with specific examples and facts. That meaning, a vampire sucks the blood out of the locker room.