The Winner Of The NBA Trading Deadline
The NBA trading deadline ended on Thursday afternoon, and many teams made moves.
One of the most active teams around the deadline was the Los Angeles Lakers.
Based on what they were able to do, they might be the winner of the 2023 deadline.
Why?
The Lakers (26-31) are the 13th seed in the Western Conference, and after missing the postseason in 2022, they did not look like they'd be a 2023 playoff team.
That said, they totally remade the roster by landing D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt (in a three-team trade that sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz).
Westbrook was clearly not a fit with the Lakers, and they now have three players that are much better for the roster.
Russell is a former All-Star and has been arguably the most underrated player in the league this season.
The 26-year-old is averaging 17.9 points and 6.2 assists per contest (while shooting 46.5% from the field and 39.0% from the three-point range).
In addition, Beasley is a talented shooter who has shot over 37.7% from the three-point range in four different seasons.
Finally, Vanderbilt can be relied upon for hustle, rebounding and defense.
He is currently averaging 8.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.0 steals per contest (while shooting 56.0% from the field).
All three players made their debut on Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center in San Francisco.
The Lakers won the game 109-103, and they will play their next game on Monday night against the Portland Trail Blazers in Oregon.
