A three-way trade was made ahead of the NBA trade deadline on the 10th (Korean time).
ESPN, an American sports media, reported on the 9th that “LA Lakers have decided to send Russell Westbrook to Utah Jazz and sign Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell.”
While no official announcement has yet been made by the club, ESPN reported that the Los Angeles Lakers would acquire Russell, Malik Beasley and Jared Vanderbilt, while Utah would acquire Westbrook, Juan Toscano Anderson and Damien Jones.
Minnesota also agreed to a ‘triangle trade’ for Mike Conley and Nickel Alexander Walker.
In addition, Utah receives an additional first-round nomination right for rookies in 2027, and Minnesota receives one additional nomination right for the second round from 2024 to 2026.
Russell, who moves to the Los Angeles Lakers, is averaging 17.9 points and 6.2 assists this season.
He is an All-Star in the 2018-2019 season and returns to the LA Lakers after 6 years after the 2016-2017 season.
In particular, Beasley and Vanderbilt, who will play together for the LA Lakers through this trade, are players who ate Russell in Minnesota last season.
The Los Angeles Lakers also have Patrick Beverly, who played for Minnesota last season.
Westbrook, who moves to Utah, is averaging 15.9 points and 7.5 assists this season.
After a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder the previous day, it was reported that he had an altercation with Los Angeles Lakers manager Davin Hamm, and he was immediately traded.
Westbrook is the ‘Mr. Triple-double’ with 198 personal career triple-doubles, the most among former and current players. 바카라
However, it is unclear whether Utah, which entered into’rebuilding mode’ by trading key players such as Rudi Gobert and Donovan Mitchell ahead of the 2022-2023 season, will employ 35-year-old Westbrook.
Conley, who will wear a Minnesota uniform, is a guard with 10.7 points and 7.7 assists this season.
The 36-year-old Conley’s point average this season is his personal lowest since his rookie season of 9.4 in 2007-2008.
However, his assists are 7.7, the most since his debut, and he will reunite with Gobert, who played together in Utah last season, in Minnesota.