What a tangled web the Lakers have weaved.
Hours before the NBA trade deadline, the Lakers acquired Malik Beasley from the Jazz, along with D’Angelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt as part of a deal with the Timberwolves. Beasley’s move to Los Angeles now means he’ll be part of the same organisation that employs Scotty Pippen Jr. – the 22-year-old son of his highly-publicised former fling, Larsa Pippen.
Larsa, the ex-wife of Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, was briefly linked to the 26-year-old Beasley in late 2020, when the twosome was photographed holding hands in Miami.
Fri, 10 Feb
Friday February 10th
Beasley and Yao later welcomed their second child in November 2022, a baby girl named Mia, who joined big brother Makai. Larsa — who shares sons Scotty, Preston, 21, Justin, 18, and daughter Sophia, 14, with the 57-year-old Pippen — has since been linked to Marcus Jordan, the 32-year-old son of her ex-husband’s former teammate, Michael Jordan. The two made their romance Instagram official last month. Scotty, a former Vanderbilt product, signed a two-way contract with the Lakers last summer following the NBA draft. But NFL player turned media identity Shannon Sharpe — a big Lakers fan — said Pippen should demand a trade in the wake of Beasley joining the team. “If I’m Scotty Pippen Jr, I want a trade,” Sharpe said on his FS1 show Skip and Shannon: Undisputed. “Malik Beasley coming to my team? I got to go.” “I will fight him,” Sharpe added. The Lakers made multiple moves in hopes of reviving a woeful season by surrounding NBA all-time scoring leader LeBron James and star big man Anthony Davis with improved talent. The Lakers, currently outside the play-in tournament with a 25-30 record, sent Russell Westbrook to Utah in a three-team deal that brought Minnesota’s D’Angelo Russell and Utah guard Malik Beasley and forward Jarred Vanderbilt. On Thursday, the Lakers reportedly sent centre Thomas Bryant to Denver in exchange for three second-round NBA Draft picks. The Lakers also reportedly traded guard Patrick Beverley to the Orlando Magic for 2.13m centre Mo Bamba. Russell and Beasley added 3-point shooting skills and an outside threat to pair with Davis and James, who were recently joined by Japanese forward Rui Hachimura in a deal with Washington. But the biggest headline was Kevin Durant’s blockbuster move from Brooklyn to Phoenix which turned the Suns into a major title contender and sparked a flurry of NBA trade deadline deals Thursday by roster-boosting rivals. The 34-year-old superstar joined Suns All-Star guards Chris Paul and Devin Booker plus Bahamian centre Deandre Ayton, the top pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, to create what might be the NBA’s most powerful line-up. Phoenix sent four first-round NBA Draft picks, swingman Mikal Bridges, forwards Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder and a 2028 pick swap to the Nets in exchange for Durant and forward T.J. Warren. Durant to Suns explodes NBA World | 00:43 Crowder, who has sat out the 2022-23 season so far, didn’t stay with the Nets long, reportedly being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks for five second-round NBA Draft picks. All deals were based on reports as trade partners awaited final physicals to complete transfers. But there were plenty of them as the balance of power in the Western Conference was shaken up by Durant’s arrival and only two clubs, Chicago and Cleveland, appeared to not make a deadline move. The Durant move wrote an epitaph to the Big Three era of the Nets, who sent James Harden to Philadelphia a year ago and traded star guard Kyrie Irving to Dallas earlier this week. The trio managed to play only 16 games together and win one playoff series after being seen as a title contender, instead finishing as one of the epic flops in NBA history. Defending NBA champion Golden State obtained Gary Payton II from Portland for five second-round NBA Draft picks in a reported multi-team deal that sent Detroit forward Kevin Knox to the Trail Blazers. The Warriors also sent James Wiseman to Detroit in a three-team deal that sent Sadiq Bey to Atlanta and brought Golden State the draft picks that landed Payton. The Los Angeles Clippers obtained centre Mason Plumlee from Charlotte for guard Reggie Jackson and sent guard Luke Kennard to Memphis in a three-team deal that also sent Houston guard Eric Gordon to LA and put John Wall and Danny Green to the Rockets. The Clippers, who also added guard Bones Hyland from Denver for two second-round picks, reportedly will look at signing Westbrook if Utah buys out the former Lakers’ star’s deal, adding some veteran talent and several newcomers around Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. San Antonio sent players to two contenders, dealing guard Josh Richardson to New Orleans for Devonte Graham and four second-round picks and Austrian centre Jakob Poeltl to Toronto for Canadian centre Khem Birch and three draft picks. Atlanta sent Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky to Houston for Bruno Fernando and Garrison Matthews in cost-cutting moves. Indiana obtained Milwaukee guard George Hill and a draft pick. Philadelphia added Charlotte forward Jalen McDaniels in a three-team deal that sent the 76ers’ Matisse Thybulle to Portland. — New York Post with AFP
