The Los Angeles Lakers looked prime to add some perimeter shooting in the lead-up to the 2021 NBA Draft, as reports indicated the team was pretty far down the road with the Sacramento Kings to acquire Buddy Hield. And then, a major twist came out of seemingly nowhere, as the team took the stuff they were going to send to Sacramento, added onto it, and put together a package to bring Russell Westbrook to Los Angeles.
There are some obvious concerns about the Lakers’ ability to space the floor when pairing Westbrook with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, but at the very least, putting this much talent on the same team is a pretty exciting proposition. Late on Thursday night, James offered up his reaction to the move, and unsurprisingly, he seems like he can’t wait to add Westbrook to the team.
The trade can’t officially happen until August 6, so James and Westbrook aren’t teammates yet. Regardless, the Lakers are a team that value bringing in stars, and Westbrook gives them a third All-Star for the first time during James’ tenure with the franchise. All of the question about how they fit and the pieces around them will, assuredly, be the focus for the next few months heading into the 2021-22 season, but for now, James and Davis are primed to get a new running mate.