Russell Westbrook is now on his fifth team in five years.
The Los Angeles Lakers agreed to send the future Hall of Fame point guard to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade on Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
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Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook passes against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on February 7, 2023. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
In the reported deal, the Lakers acquire D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Minnesota Timberwolves, who receive Mike Conley and three second-round picks.
The Jazz will reportedly get Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones and the protected 2027 first-round pick out of Los Angeles, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker will go to Minnesota.
Westbrook, the 2017 NBA MVP, was traded to the Lakers after spending the 2020-2021 season with the Washington Wizards; It is the fourth time they have changed it since 2019.
The Jazz will likely purchase him once the deal is official.
Meanwhile, the 26-year-old Russell returns to the team that drafted him second overall in 2015, one selection behind his now-former Timberwolves teammate Karl-Anthony Towns.
Los Angeles Lakers’ Russell Westbrook is shown during the game against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on October 20, 2022. (Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Westbrook is averaging 15.9 points per game off the bench, the second-lowest mark of his career: he racked up 15.3 points per game in his rookie year in 2008-2009. The two-time scoring champion is averaging 17.4 points per game since he joined the Lakers before last season. His 41.7 field goal percentage is also the second lowest, behind his rookie season, but he still manages to rack up 7.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Russell is out of Minnesota after joining them midway through the 2019-2020 season. Since he joined the Timberwolves, he’s racked up 18.5 points and 6.5 assists per game. His 46.5 field goal percentage this year is the highest of his career.
The Lakers need a good run as their 25-30 record ranks 13th in the Western Conference. However, they are still just four games out of sixth place, which would keep them out of the play-in tournament and push them straight into the first round of the playoffs. Minnesota is currently in ninth place at 29-28.
Russell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers warms up before the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 9, 2022 at the Chase Center in San Francisco. (Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
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The trade comes just a day after Westbrook reportedly got into a heated exchange with the coaches in the locker room at halftime, just minutes before LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
The trade gives Utah 15 unprotected or lightly protected first-round picks through 2029 and plenty of salary-cap space to go along with its young core.
At the start of the season, Westbrook was making more than $47 million this season as he is in the final year of a five-year, $205 million contract.