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Longtime rivals Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley are now teammates. The LA Lakers reportedly acquired the latter from the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. However, Fox Sports' Chris Broussard has urged the Lakers to trade Westbrook and first-round picks to the Indiana Pacers.
On a recent episode of "The Odd Couple" podcast, Broussard discussed the Lakers' possible deal with the Pacers. He pointed out that the Lakers are not known for not building through the draft. He wants them to trade Westbrook and two first-round picks for Myles Turner and Buddy Hield.
"You're the Lakers, you've never built through draft," Broussard said. "Kobe (Bryant) was a draft, but technically a trade. Shaq (O'Neal) was a free agent. Wilt (Chamberlain) was a trade. Jerry West was drafted, Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) was a trade."
Broussard added that Magic Johnson was drafted as well as James Worthy. However, he also noted that Pau Gasol was acquired via trade and LeBron James signed as a free agent. The last two deals brought a total of three championships to Hollywood.
The longtime NBA analyst believes that acquiring Turner and Hield will make the LA Lakers contenders. Turner is a defensive stalwart who has led the league in blocks twice, while Hield is a great shooter. Both players are also below 30 years old and would instantly make the Lakers a better team.
"Myles Turner is far from chopped liver," Broussard said. "He's a 6'11" center who has led the league in blocks twice. He is a good player. He's gonna get you double figure points, gonna get you seven rebounds or so and protect the paint the rim. ... Buddy Hield is a bonafide sharpshooter, so I'm on board with that."
The Lakers were very reluctant to part ways with their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. However, LeBron James signing an extension might have changed their tune about their future. The Lakers could acquire talent in exchange for those two picks, as well as Westbrook.
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LA Lakers acquire Patrick Beverley
According to USA Today, the LA Lakers have acquired Patrick Beverley from the Utah Jazz. The Lakers are sending Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to Utah in exchange for Beverley. The 34-year-old veteran will add defensive toughness to a team that needed it last season.
It was a very interesting move by the Lakers, considering Beverley's frosty relationship with Russell Westbrook. However, the team could be looking forward to next summer. Beverley is on an expiring deal, which gives the Lakers ample cap space to rebuild the roster.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis both have player options for the 2024-25 NBA season. The Lakers have at least two more seasons to try and build a contender. They had a busy offseason already before the Beverley trade. They hired Darvin Ham as coach while signing five role players in free agency.
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