The transaction is reportedly being sealed by two young Lakers players.
Finally, your Los Angeles Lakers traded a player who was overpaid but underachieving and who ended up making awkward love with one of their great players!
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, LA is prepared to trade point guard Patrick Beverley to the Utah Jazz for the swingman Talen Horton-$10.3 Tucker’s million deal, plus the minimum wage for forwarding Stanley Johnson.
The clubs will finalize the agreement on Thursday morning, according to Woj.
Woj adds that no draught picks will be exchanged as part of the deal (Twitter link).
Shams Charania and Tony Jones, both athletes, have stated that a deal is about to happen.
The person who has long been Russell Westbrook’s enemy is about to join the squad.
The Lakers appear to be at least getting ready to replace their tumultuous 2021–22 starting point guard with a deal for a high-paid point guard.
Beverly’s deal
Beverley will get $13 million in the final year of his current deal, but that amount is still far less than the $47.1 million Westbrook will make this year, even though Beverley is a better player. Being a below-average shooter and defender, Westbrook’s deficiencies on both sides of the ball, along with a lack of depth (much of which the Lakers originally gave up in Washington to acquire Westbrook), led to one of the worst seasons in team history.
The extended ailments of LeBron James and Anthony Davis also didn’t help.
In 2021–2022, Westbrook’s first (and perhaps final) season with the Lakers, they went 33–49.
Irving re-signed?
It seems like the Lakers are prepared to move forward with their hunt for Westbrook trades now that the Brooklyn Nets have for the time being re-signed Kyrie Irving, their flimsy but still skilled head guard.
The addition of a capable and seasoned point guard to Beverley fills a critical position for the Lakers and enables team president Rob Pelinka to consider factors other than employment needs in any potential Brodie trade.
Beverley is now more suitable for this Lakers squad than Westbrook, and it would make more sense as a starter if the latter player stayed with the team at the start of the season if Pelinka can’t find a deal he likes in time.
Beverley started for the seventh-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in a grueling six-game loss to the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2022 playoffs while playing in his tenth NBA season.
Beverley, unlike Westbrook, gets a lot of his attack from the ball.
A dedicated defender and career long-range shooter with a volume percentage of 37.8%.