Lakers News: Starting PG Leaves LA For Celtics, Russell Westbrook Ready To Play With LeBron

The Los Angeles Lakers have completely revamped their backcourt in an offseason that no one saw coming. Los Angeles shocked the league on the day of the 2021 NBA Draft by agreeing to trade for Russell Westbrook, who replaces Dennis Schroder as the team’s starting point guard.

Westbrook appeared to be an unlikely trade candidate with two years and $91 million left on his contract. The Lakers were able to offer Schroder more money than any other team, and a reunion made sense after he made 61 starts for Los Angeles last season.

That all changed when the Lakers agreed to send Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the No. 22 pick in the draft to the Washington Wizards in exchange for the 2017 MVP.

"It's surreal," Westbrook said at Tuesday’s introductory press conference. "I think it still hasn't hit me yet, being from L.A., growing up not too far from here and being able to watch the parades -- try to go to them, try to miss school to try to go to them. Being a Laker fan and being from L.A., but now everything coming full circle for me."

The trade was ultimately made possible when Schroder turned down a four-year, $84 million contract extension from the Lakers in March. Schroder missed two weeks in May after testing positive for COVID-19, and he played poorly in six playoff games.

In free agency, Schroder was forced to settle for a one-year, $5.9 million deal with the Boston Celtics, according to ESPN. With several top point guards on the market, teams around the league used their cap space on other players as Schroder was unable to land a lucrative, multi-year contract.

Both Los Angeles and Boston were eliminated in the first round of the 2021 playoffs.

Schroder averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 assists per game last season. Westbrook scored 22.2 points per game and averaged a triple-double for the fourth time in five seasons.

The Lakers signed Kendrick Nunn to serve as Westbrook’s backup, though LeBron James will often run the offense. Considering James and Westbrook often thrive with the ball in their hands, the Lakers face a potential challenge in the way they fit on the court at the same time. Head coach Frank Vogel may consider having Westbrook on the floor during stretches when James is resting.

Westbrook led the NBA with 11.7 assists per game in the 2020-2021 season, one year after James was the league’s assist leader. With Westbrook, James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers probably have the most talented starting lineup in the Western Conference.

"Bron is one of the best players to play this game, and his ability to be able to kind of do everything on the floor allows me to be able to just figure it out," Westbrook told reporters. "I'm coming to a championship-caliber team and my job is to make sure that I'm able to make his game easier for him, and I'll find ways to do that throughout the game."

The Lakers are the overwhelming favorites to represent the West in the 2022 NBA Finals.