As the regular season approaches, the Los Angeles Lakers are still making some moves.
They haven’t been wildly busy in the offseason, acquiring a few lesser-known stars to beef up the roster.
Instead of one massive trade, they have been making several smaller ones.
And now they have nabbed one of the most talked-about and infamous players in the league.
Trade recap
To LAL: P. Beverley ($13M)
LAL opens up a roster spot and financial flexibility in 2023-24 (could have up to $34M in room)
To UTH: T. Horton-Tucker ($10.3M) and S. Johnson ($2.35M)
The Jazz create a $2.74M TE and have 15 guaranteed contracts.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 25, 2022
The Lakers have acquired Patrick Beverley and sent both Talen Horton-Tucker and Stanley Johnson to the Utah Jazz.
Bobby Marks broke down the deal and noted that this package gives the Lakers some financial room in the 2023-24 season and also gives the Jazz 15 guaranteed contracts.
The response to this trade was mixed but will it help the Lakers out in the long run?
Beverley Packs His Bags Again
Beverley is once again on the move and his addition to LA might really help them out.
The guy has a mouth on him and he can create controversies but he’s also an accomplished player, a role player who can sometimes give his team a solid assist in terms of points and defense.
However, LA fans are very sad to see both Horton-Tucker and Johnson go.
Horton-Tucker started out strongly with the Lakers and was one of the most beloved young stars on the team.
He hit a rough patch in the last season and wasn’t as consistent but that was frankly true for the whole team.
Johnson’s departure from the Lakers is surprising because he was a breakout star in Los Angeles.
But that’s what it cost to land a vet like Beverley.
This move shows that the Lakers really want to win now and save money for the future.
They think that having an established player like Beverley is better than nurturing younger ones like Horton-Tucker and Johnson.
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