Russell Westbrook Trade: LeBron James welcomes "Brodie" to the LA Lakers
The 2021 NBA Draft day started with a blockbuster trade that saw the LA Lakers successfully reach an agreement to sign Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards. The trade package offered by the Lakers included Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Montrezl Harrell, along with the No. 22 pick.
The LA Lakers' new superteam comprising LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Anthony Davis has now got their fans excited for the upcoming season. James took to Instagram moments back, posting a photoshopped picture of Westbrook and welcoming him to LA.
Russell Westbrook is coming off his fourth triple-double season in the NBA. He averaged 22.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and 11.7 assists. He will be a solid upgrade at the point guard spot occupied by Dennis Schroder last season.
Westbrook will provide the Lakers with an additional playmaker apart from LeBron James. It will allow him and Anthony Davis to play more freely without having to worry about running the team's offense.
The trio of James, AD and Westbrook have 34 All-Star appearances among them. Fans and team owners of the LA Lakers will be hoping they can find championship success together this season and win a record 18th NBA title for the franchise.
The LA Lakers endured a difficult 2020-21 NBA season that was plagued by injuries throughout. The offseason is key to their hopes of returning to championship contention, and with the acquisition of Russell Westbrook, it seems likely they will be aggressive in the coming few weeks.
Russell Westbrook Trade: What's next for LeBron James and the LA Lakers?
The LA Lakers were in desperate need of another playmaker on the team. They have been linked with multiple players, including Chris Paul, Kyle Lowry and Spencer Dinwiddie. Now that they have acquired Russell Westbrook to resolve the issue, their focus can shift back to adding more shooters and bench depth.
Westbrook is one of the best playmakers in the NBA right now, but his long-range shooting is questionable. The LA Lakers have also been linked to Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings. But after dealing with the likes of Kuzma, KCP, and Harrell along with the No. 22 pick, they have limited assets to work with.
GM Rob Pelinka and his crew will have to be crafty with how they approach the rest of the offseason.
Also read: Russell Westbrook traded to LA Lakers: Here's how Twitter reacted to the reported blockbuster move