UPDATE: And the deal is agreed do, the three sides are on board.
ESPN Sources: The Lakers are finalizing deal to land Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt in trade including Mike Conley and picks to Timberwolves and Russell Westbrook and a lightly protected 2027 LA first-round pick to Jazz.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
The pick is protected 1-4, according to the report, and there are now other players involved.
Also in deal: Juan Toscano-Anderson and Damian Jones to Jazz, Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Timberwolves, sources said.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 9, 2023
This is a win for the Lakers, who give up one pick and get an upgrade at the point and two other players who upgrade their rotation. They are not sudden favorites in the West — the Lakers still sit as the 13th seed at the time of the trade — but if they can get into the postseason with a healthy LeBron James and Anthony Davis this is a team no team wants to face.
Russell Westbrook likely will be bought out by the Jazz and become a free agent. Ainge got what he wanted in Utah, another quality draft asset. Minnesota gets a point guard who is more of a floor general, a pass-first one who can play next to Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns (once he gets healthy) and fit in better.
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There may be a Russell Westbrook trade out there after all.
According to multiple reports, the Lakers are in discussions for a three-team point-gaurd trade that would send Westbrook and a draft pick (one of the Lakers first rounders in 2027 or 2029) to Utah, the Jazz would send veteran point Mike Conley to Minnesota, and the Timberwolves would send D’Angelo Russell back to the Lakers team that drafted him in 2015, plus the Lakers likely would get another Jazz player such as Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt (it’s the only way the numbers work).
Ongoing discussions have included Utah's Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt as part of the potential three-team deal to the Lakers, sources said. Sides are working through pick protections and additional draft compensation too, per sources. https://t.co/DoI0EBOBVq
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2023
Adrian Wojnarowski says the Lakers and Jazz like the deal and are set, but Minnesota is still talking to other teams about Russell to see if they can find a better deal.
ESPN Sources: Three-team trade is largely hinging on how Minnesota values D’Angelo Russell in potential deal and their return of draft assets. Lakers and Jazz have significant deal structure in place, but Minnesota has been engaged elsewhere on Russell too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2023
This trade makes the Lakers better — Russell is a better shooter (39.1% from 3 this season), and he has played well in recent weeks working more off-ball while Anthony Edwards’ role in the offense has increased. Also, Russell’s contract expires after this season, so he doesn’t eat into their cap space.
The Timberwolves would get an adult in the room, a pass-first point guard who is a traditional floor general in Conley. He can work on or off the ball and could run pick-and-rolls with Rudy Gobert or, when he gets healthy, Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Jazz would buy out Westbrook, making him a free agent.
The questions seem to surround protections on the picks as well as if the Timberwolves believe there is a stronger market for Russell. This also could have been leaked by one of the parties hoping to get the deal done in an effort to put pressure on the others to agree to terms.
With the trade deadline a day away, this is one to watch — nothing is certain, but this trade feels like it’s on the two-yard line.