The Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz were preparing to play their game yesterday as news started brewing about a potential trade in the works. The Los Angeles Lakers were trying to get their hands on D’Angelo Russell and the Timberwolves were rumored to get Mike Conley Jr. Both teams played each other but Russell & Conley Jr were ruled out as the trade chatter continued to go up until the late afternoon. The Lakers have been rumored to be trying to get rid of Russell Westbrook and they did just that as news broke out that the trade was indeed happening.

Lakers, Jazz and Timberwolves are finalizing trade sending D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to Los Angeles, Russell Westbrook and first-round pick to Utah and Mike Conley Jr. and second-round pick compensation to Minnesota, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 9, 2023

Now that the trade is finalized it’s time to talk about how this impacts all three teams involved in this trade moving forward. We will start off with the Lakers who got a great addition to the team with D’Angelo Russell who’s still got a lot to give to the team. It was just clear that he wasn’t going to get that extension money that he wanted from the Timberwolves as they had to move on. On the season D’Angelo Russell has averaged 17.9 ppg and 6.2 ast per game he will be a great help to that Lakers roster. The Lakers have acquired Russell to help with their scoring issues outside of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Russell’s only 26 years old and he has a lot to offer this Lakers team he’s already familiar with LA as he was drafted there back when Magic was in charge.

The Lakers get a scorer and someone that can get the ball to LeBron and Davis but also can go down the court and get a bucket when it’s much needed. Look for Russell to get more opportunities playing alongside both of them as he will have plenty of chances to score with the number of double teams they get per game. DLo was great for the Timberwolves but they chose to move on and this could be one of the missing pieces to the Lakers going far in the playoffs as Russell has a chance to showcase why he’s still an elite talent on a championship-caliber team.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were able to get Mike Conley Jr. and Nickeil Alexander-Walker with 3 second-round picks in the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to LA. This honestly is a perfect trade for the Timberwolves because you get a Mike Conley Jr. who’s seasoned but has the court IQ that comes with winning basketball. Mike Conley Jr. has been through the playoff battles and he knows exactly what it takes to lead a team in the playoffs. The Timberwolves are getting a leader in the locker room and someone that comes with a lot of winning experience that can change the culture of this team. Mike Conley Jr is averaging 10.7 ppg and 7.7 ast per game this season and he’s coming to a Timberwolves team that is eager to make some noise in the postseason. The great thing about this trade is the fact you get a player who’s already experienced with playing with Rudy Gobert and has great chemistry with him.

The Conley Jr. and Gobert Pick N Roll will be in full effect as Minnesota will be able to execute at a high level in the paint. Mike Conley Jr. will also get the ball in Anthony Edwards hands with space and get it to him in his sweet spots. Once Karl-Anthony Towns comes back to the lineup he will be able to get the ball where he likes it as well. Mike Conley  Jr. has made a defensive team and he knows how to get in those passing lanes so this Minnesota defense will be elite from their starting five. The Timberwolves acquired Nickeil Alexander-Walker as well in the trade. Nickeil has shown some signs of growth in his young career and he gives Minnesota another shooter but also someone that can handle the rock as well. It will be interesting to see how he’s used by the organization as we see how the trade unfolds.

The Utah Jazz gave up Mike Conkey Jr, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt but they got Russell Westbrook, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and Damion Jones in the deal. The Utah Jazz is rumored to buy out Russell Westbrook so it’s yet to be determined what happens with Westbrook as it’s unlikely he suits up in Utah. There have already been reports of the Clippers, Bulls, and Heat in the mix if Westbrook hits the market. As far as Juan and Damion both players bring some depth to this Utah team and can help when it comes to filling some voids on the defensive end and help bolster the bench.

The Jazz has freed up about $60M in cap space and has some young talent that they’re trying to build around moving forward and we can’t forget all the picks that they have acquired as well. This was a great trade for the Jazz who are building that team from the ground up as they look to get in the mix in the draft and offseason.

Overall I believe all three teams got what they wanted and that this trade will help them all right now/long run. The Lakers got a great scorer and the Timberwolves got a true leader/floor general in the mix as well. Can’t wait as both the Lakers and Timberwolves will be playing each other on March 31st in Minnesota.

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