Last night’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Oklahoma City Thunder wasn’t really about winning. The topic was LeBron James surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in terms of regular season scoring records. He scored 38 points in the process, but when you look at it from a wider perspective, the purple and gold needed that victory.
The Lakers need to win games because they are the 13th seed in the Western Conference with less than 30 games remaining in the season. Rob Pelinka appears to have accomplished exactly what the team has to do in order to compete in the West.
The Utah Jazz will receive Russell Westbrook and a first-round pick with little protection from the Lakers in a three-team trade that has been finalized. In return, the Jazz is sending Mike Conley to the Timberwolves, along with Jarred Vanderbilt, Malik Beasley, and the Lakers. But D Angelo Russell is the big star joining the purple and gold.
Lakers Fans React to Russell Westbrook Trade
Los Angeles appeared to have acquired their own superstar big-3 when it was revealed that Russell Westbrook would join the Lakers in 2021. They were already a lock for the NBA Finals, according to the graphics that were being produced.
Due to several injuries and the obvious issue of having a roster that didn’t gel well together, this didn’t turn out that well. Because of the criticism he received for his underwhelming performance for the purple and gold, Russell Westbrook’s departure has prompted supporters to voice their feelings on social media.
Damn the lakers just got a whole lot better
Robert (@Robert58767776) February 9, 2023
RUSS IS OUT LEBRONS SEASON STARTS NOW pic.twitter.com/qruVIQSuME
Abhi (@abhik__10) February 9, 2023
LeGM in the lab finding a way to get rid of Russ for actual players pic.twitter.com/CdZAZVb9wo
BetOnline.ag (@betonline_ag) February 9, 2023
WESTBRICK IS FINALLY GONE
Fun Guy Pepper (@DrP3pper215) February 9, 2023
Of course, the Lakers had a tonne of other issues that contributed to their rapid decline in the standings for two years in a row, but Westbrook was regrettably always given the brunt of the criticism. He deserves praise, though, for maintaining his professionalism during all the commotion and scrutiny.
What S Next for Russell Westbrook?
This 2022–23 NBA season wasn’t something the Utah Jazz were aiming to win. They dealt Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell because they desired a subpar record similar to the Pistons’ or Rockets’. The lineup they created, however, actually fit perfectly next to one another because of all the assets they had acquired.
Even better, Lauri Markkanen, an All-Star, joined the Jazz. Therefore, the team will undoubtedly start to lose more games now that Rusell Westbrook has joined the squad in exchange for Conley, Vanderbilt, and Beasley, three crucial players.
Given that Russ’ contract is about to expire, it’s possible that he will be bought out. However, it appears that there is no market for the Jordan athlete, so it will be interesting to see whether teams are interested in signing him to a fair contract.
