WESTBROOK HEADS WEST! Pt. 2
In a five-team trade, the Los Angeles Lakers acquired guard Russell Westbrook,a second-round draft pick in 2023, a second-round draft pick in 2024 and a second-round draft pick in 2028 from the Washington Wizards; Washington acquired guard Spencer Dinwiddie from the Brooklyn Nets, forward Kyle Kuzma, center/forward Montrezl Harrell, guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Lakers, and guard Aaron Holiday, forward Isaiah Todd and cash from the Indiana Pacers; the San Antonio Spurs acquired forward/guard Chandler Hutchison and a second-round draft pick in 2022 from the Wizards; Brooklyn acquired a second-round draft pick in 2024 and the right to swap second-round draft picks in 2025 from the Wizards, and center Nikola Milutinov from the Spurs; and Indiana acquired forward Isaiah Jackson from the Lakers.
What does it give the Indiana Pacers
The Pacers did pretty well when included in this massive deal, as Jackson has more upside for the future than does Holiday (who was mostly a depth player off the bench for Indiana).
What does it give the Brooklyn Nets
The Nets decided to move Dinwiddie largely because they are top-heavy at the guard positions with James Harden and Kyrie Irving running the show. Milutinov is a project but the picks may help them down the line.
What does it give the Los Angeles Lakers
This five-team swap needed a lot of maneuvering to get done! Westbrook adds a third superstar to the Lakers roster, and he is expected to be the main ball handler for LA. That will allow LeBron James to focus more on scoring and teaming up with Anthony Davis up front. The three future draft picks help, but the Lakers paid a steep price to get Westbrook (three solid NBA players and a first-rounder).
What does it give the Washington Wizards
Washington did very well in this trade, as they were able to land Westbrook's replacement in Dinwiddie from Brooklyn. Plus, Kuzma, Harrell and Caldwell-Pope should all contribute to what looks like a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. Also, Holiday should come off the bench and help with the team's depth. Todd will be a project for the foreseeable future, but there is some potential there.
Fantasy impact
Westbrook needs the ball to be a dominant fantasy performer, so he could see his stock dip a bit in Los Angeles (where James still is the team leader and main playmaker). Therefore, do not overrate Westbrook on draft day. Kuzma may be a breakthrough candidate if he gets more minutes (as anticipated) in Washington, while both Harrell and Caldwell-Pope are likely to see fewer minutes in D.C. Holiday has little fantasy value at this time, while Dinwiddie could end up being the biggest benefactor from this trade. Draft him with confidence this year (and hope that he can stay healthy this time around). Hutchison holds little value, while Todd, Jackson and Milutinov are potential deep keeper stashes in 2021.
