The Los Angeles Lakers traded three players, including two key pieces of the 2020 title team, to land Russell Westbrook in 2021. It seemed like LA was getting a third star, but Rob Pelinka and the front office still owe a first-round draft pick from this disaster. The Lakers got a season and a half of Westbrook, where they shockingly missed the playoffs and had to give up a first-round pick to dump him. LA is desperately trying to move off one of the pieces they acquired and have to give the Jazz their 2027 first to get out of this completely.
The Lakers traded Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, 2 first round draft picks, and a 2024 second-rounder for a disastrous Russell Westbrook stint, D’Angelo Russell’s LA return, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, and three second-round picks. The Lakers reached the conference finals in 2023, but they gave up the two most impactful role players and two firsts to get several headaches and a couple of second-rounders.
The Lakers want to build a title contender around Luka Doncic. The defending scoring champ has earned that right, but this trade is limiting what LA can do. They still owe their 2027 first, and nobody wants to take on Vando’s contract. Westbrook’s stint was bad, but this nightmare still hasn’t died five years after LA made the trade.
The Lakers continue to be haunted by the Russell Westbrook disaster
Westbrook led the league in assists, finished 11th in MVP voting, and helped the Wizards make the playoffs in 2021. He was third-team All-NBA in 2020. The Lakers thought they were acquiring a difference-making star to pair with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. This was going to be a Big 3 that instantly made them title contenders.
It never worked. Westbrook and LeBron both needed the ball to be at their best. Russ couldn’t shoot it well enough, and the Lakers didn’t have enough floor spacing around their Big 3. They disastrously won 33 games and missed the playoffs in their only full season together.
Fans will remember that LA quickly surged after trading Westbrook and rode the momentum to the conference finals in 2023. They lost to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets, but it showed just how much Russ was weighing the roster down.
Rob Pelinka’s track record with the Lakers is spotty. There have been some massive hits and ugly misses. Trading for Russell Westbrook was arguably his worst move. Los Angeles still owes a first-round draft pick for having to dump the former MVP. D-Lo, Beasley, and Vando all showed flashes with the purple and gold before turning into headaches. This is the nightmare that just won’t go away.
Hopefully, Rob Pelinka and the Los Angeles Lakers learned a valuable lesson. Fit matters in the NBA. Russell Westbrook was a nightmare one, and the franchise is still paying for the mistake five years later. The Lakers can’t afford another mistake like this around Luka. He is in his prime and ready to win a title. It is time to build around him, and this disaster must be remember when filling out the roster.
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