(News4usonline) – The Los Angeles Lakers have six new players added to their roster now that the moving and shaking of NBA trades have come and gone. As the new athletes were welcomed, the Lakers said goodbye to memorable players as well.
The players added to the Lakers roster are Rui Hachimura, Davon Reed, Malik Beasley, Jarred Vanderbilt, D’Angelo Russell, and Mo Bamba. How that plays out nobody really knows.
Hachimura was involved in an earlier trade this season who has already been a part of the starting five for the past few weeks, while Vanderbilt, Russell and Bamba recently played their first home game as official Lakers.
Hachimura was traded to the Lakers from the Washington Wizards where his power forward moves were visible. He has been positively impacting the Lakers games with his midrange scoring and flexible defensive plays. In exchange for Hachimura, Kendrick Nunn was sent into a Washington jersey.
Reed, previously a shooting guard for the Nuggets, brought his skills to Los Angeles. The acquisition of Reed sent former Laker Thomas Bryant to Denver. Reed averaged 2.3 points, and 1.6 rebounds in nine minutes during the 35 games he played as a Nugget. Reed scored two points in his first game as a Laker.
Intertwined in the Reed/Bryant trade was also an exchange for Bamba and Patrick Beverley. Los Angeles acquired Bamba and sent Beverley to the Orlando Magic. With the Lakers sending Beverley, a crowd favorite, away, Bamba made a splash in his first game as a Laker against the Pelicans on Wednesday.
The Lakers’ final swap included Vanderbilt, Beasley and Russell who were part of a three-team trade sending away Russell Westbrook. Vanderbilt, comes to Los Angeles from the Utah Jazz, along with Beasley. Vanderbilt’s first home game as a Laker was a success against the Pelicans.
Vanderbilt was in the starting lineup with both Russell and Beasley and earned six points, four rebounds and two assists. Beasley, a shooting guard, will bring depth to the Lakers offense. He is averaging 10.8 points per game, a 38 three-point field goal percentage, and a 42.3 field goal percentage in his overall career.
During his first home game donning the purple and gold, Beasley earned eight points, three rebounds and two assists. Russell was welcomed back to Los Angeles after leaving the team in 2017. He was brought to the Lakers from the Minnesota Timberwolves where he was a prominent player. The point guard impressed the fans at Crypto,com Arena with his offensive skills right out of the gate.
Russell scored 21 points and handed out seven assists during his first home game Wednesday night. While leading the Lakers to victory, Russell screamed, “like I never left,” out into the crowd. After a few fresh Laker players’ debuts, it seems like the team will be more well-rounded overall and be able to improve their offensive scoring power.
As Los Angeles now has acquired skilled shooters, they head deeper into the season with an improved roster, experienced players, and additional help to assist LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
California State University Dominguez Hills journalism major. Editor in chief of Cypress College Chronicle 2019. Born and raised in La Mirada, CA