The Los Angeles Lakers are acquiring All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards for three players and this year’s first-round draft pick.
According to two people with knowledge of the deal, the Lakers are trading Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell to Washington for Westbrook, who is a Los Angeles native and helped lead UCLA to a pair of Final Four appearances. The Lakers have the 22nd overall pick in Thursday’s draft.
The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal can’t be officially announced until Aug. 6, when the salary cap becomes official and teams can also begin making moves for the upcoming season. The Lakers will also receive second-round picks from the Wizards in 2024 and ’28.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report that a deal between the Lakers and Wizards was close after the Lakers talks with the Sacramento Kings about a similar deal featuring guard Buddy Hield, reportedly fell apart.
Westbrook averaged a triple-double (22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists) for the fourth time in his 13-year career last season. He is the league’s career leader in triple-doubles with 184 and gives the Lakers another playmaker to pair with All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers — who won the NBA title in the Orlando bubble in 2020 — were eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs this year and struggled down the stretch with James and Davis missing most of the second half of the regular season due to injuries.
Dennis Schroder played the point last season, and averaged 15.4 points, but he turned down an extension during the regular season to test free agency.
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Source: NBC Los Angeles
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