Russell Westbrook

The Lakers could potentially add Russell and lose Russ at the trade deadline.

But the Timberwolves still traded a 26-year-old point guard for a 35-year-old point guard that is not significantly better here and now. It doesn't quite get the Lakers into the championship picture, but it costs them a very valuable asset that might have helped them get back into contention later, either as an offseason trade piece or as a pick during an extended rebuild years down the line. [Raptors](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/TOR/toronto-raptors/), 2020 Lakers and 2022 [Warriors](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/GS/golden-state-warriors/) have in common? [ESPN's Zach Lowe](https://twitter.com/ZachLowe_NBA/status/1623507164097818625), the 2027 pick the Lakers sent Utah in this deal will not roll over to 2028 if it does not convey. And yet, the Lakers are faced with the uncomfortable reality that they needed 3-and-D players, not 3-or-D players, and the players they acquired are all therefore difficult fits. They moved off of Westbrook, a player whose raw value is debatable but whose fit with this particular team simply didn't work, in exchange for three players that each provide traits that the Lakers badly needed. In a vacuum, the Lakers probably got more value out of a single first-round pick than they reasonably could have expected. So essentially, the Jazz gave away three inessential role players during a season in which they probably would've preferred to tank anyway in exchange for a potentially very valuable first-round pick and $14 million in savings. There were rumors in the offseason that they were close to dealing Westbrook and two first-round picks to [Los Angeles Lakers](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/LAL/los-angeles-lakers/), [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/MIN/minnesota-timberwolves/) and [Utah Jazz](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/UTA/utah-jazz/) are finalizing a three-team trade that would send [Russell Westbrook](/nba/players/1622555/russell-westbrook/) and a top-four protected 2027 first-round pick to the Jazz, [D'Angelo Russell](/nba/players/2152730/dangelo-russell/), [Jarred Vanderbilt](/nba/players/2892548/jarred-vanderbilt/) and [Malik Beasley](/nba/players/2202574/malik-beasley/) to the Lakers and [Mike Conley](/nba/players/1231861/mike-conley/) Jr. As such, they grade out as the obvious winner of the deal. In Conley, the Wolves get a point guard who just spent three seasons next to [Rudy Gobert](/nba/players/2067669/rudy-gobert/) with the Jazz, so Minnesota knows that they can play together.

The Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are in discussions on a three-team deal that would send D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers.

That would give the Wolves much more flexibility to work with in trades and roster construction moving forward, in addition to landing a player they believe would be a big help for the stretch run. And now, that’s one more quiver in the bow for this offseason and in offseasons to come. [John Wall](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/john-wall-Hi3iaXUQCSafuGlJ/) to be. Plus, [Paul George](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/paul-george-kIIUTtsJtSpaZfu1/) has supported Westbrook throughout his rough times with the Lakers. And on a team that hopes to have another player who takes a lot of shots in Karl-Anthony Towns returning sometime after the All-Star break, bringing a more classic quarterback to help run the offense could help smooth things out. It took the Wolves months to figure out how to tinker with the offense after losing Beasley’s volume 3-point shooting in the Gobert trade last summer. Conley and Gobert played together in Utah and built a pick-and-roll synergy that, to this point, Russell and Gobert have not been able to develop. The need for improved guard play pushed the team to be involved in trade talks for [Kyrie Irving](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/kyrie-irving-c9XLlxAFm6NG5ddD/) from Brooklyn before [he was dealt](https://theathletic.com/4158002/2023/02/05/kyrie-irving-trade-nets-mavericks/) to the [Mavericks](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/mavericks/) on Monday. The Lakers improved their roster and didn’t have to empty their asset cupboard. [NBA](https://theathletic.com/nba/) trade deadline. The situation had become untenable over the past week or so, multiple team and league sources close to the situation told The Athletic. He averaged 14.3 points and 4.0 assists per game with the Lakers in his first two seasons in the league before being traded in 2016.