NBA trade deadline madness: Westbrook heads to Utah, Durant joins Phoenix

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Russell Westbrook will no longer wear the purple and gold while Kevin Durant will be joining Devin Booker and Chris Paul after getting traded to the Phoenix Suns.

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s happening.

With the National Basketball Association (NBA) trade deadline already nearing an end, the Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, and the Brooklyn Nets decided to undergo a major roster reshuffle confirmed by multiple sources last February 9, 2023.

According to TNT & Bleacher Report’s Senior NBA Insider Chris Haynes and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers are trading Westbrook to the Utah Jazz via a three-team swap.

In exchange, the Lakers will be receiving D’Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt from Minnesota while the Timberwolves land Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

Part of the Lakers’ package involving the Jazz are Juan Toscano-Anderson, Damian Jones, and a 2027 first-round pick.

Meanwhile, another blockbuster trade shocked social media after reports confirmed that Durant will be returning to the Western Conference when he agreed to a deal with the Phoenix Suns.

Multiple sources including ESPN and Bleacher Report stated that the Brooklyn Nets will be shipping Durant and TJ Warren in exchange for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, and four first-round picks.

The massive trade came just hours after Westbrook departed from Los Angeles and exploded moments after the introduction of Phoenix’s new majority owner Mat Ishbia.

In addition, Wojnarowski also said that Durant wanted out of Brooklyn as soon as possible and urged Ishbia to finalize the deal right away.

The other trade deadline swaps involved Portland Trailblazers’ Josh Hart who is set to play for the New York Knicks.

In exchange, New York will be moving three-point shooter Cam Reddish and a protected future first-round pick to Portland.

The San Antonio Spurs also let go of long-time center Jakob Poetl and just tapped the services of Khem Birch and a protected 2024 first-round pick.