LeBron James was "adamant" that the Lakers enhance their roster before he agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million agreement to stay in Los Angeles. Beverley was only the first stone to fall.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who spoke on the Rich Eisen Show, moving the guard is not the top goal. It is still uncertain whether one of those dominoes will be a trade for Russell Westbrook.
"You know, I don't think there's a deliberate effort to move Russell Westbrook, but I would expect the Lakers to keep looking at the market to improve their squad. I believe the focus is on "can we work out a deal with some of the players on the roster using the picks we have to strengthen this squad?
The Lakers' supporting cast surrounding LeBron James and Anthony Davis needs to improve. Perhaps trading Westbrook will do that, but the Lakers have been hunting for a deal including Westbrook since last February, well before the trade deadline, and haven't found one they like. Before the trade deadline in February of this year, they might not locate one. Of course, that changes and the Lakers are now ready to part with their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks because that is what other teams wanted in exchange for taking on Westbrook and his $47 million.
Watch out for two possible trade situations which might feature Westbrook. One involves Utah, which is still addressing Beverley. The Jazz has several veterans available for trade, including Bojan Bogdanovic, Mike Conley, Malik Beasley, Jordan Clarkson, and Donovan Mitchell (who will presumably wind up in New York because the Lakers lack the selections and players to enter that conversation). Those are role players who would improve the Lakers' squad.
The second potential trade to keep an eye on is the much-discussed one with Indiana, in which Westbrook and both Lakers picks—likely unprotected—go to Los Angeles in exchange for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield. The Lakers' refusal to include both picks caused that transaction to fall through.
Should the Lakers include both choices in a deal that elevates them to respectable but not title contender status? The Indiana trade would carry out that action. The Lakers' starting lineup of Beverley, Hield, LeBron, Davis, and Turner is strong—and includes Austin Reaves, Lonnie Walker IV, Thomas Bryant, and others off the bench. The postseason's second round might be good (depending on the matchup). Yet not good enough to challenge for the crown. Is that worth losing every pick the Lakers still possess this decade?
More moves from the Lakers are expected, some of which might be unexpected. A Westbrook trade, however, would come as a genuine shock at this time.
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