Russell Westbrook wowed the entire world with his performance in the 2020-21 campaign, tallying 38 triple-doubles as he carried the mediocre Washington Wizards to the eighth seed. It was clear then that Westbrook still had what it takes to keep a team afloat with his floor-raising capabilities, as the Wizards were able to overcome a general lack of quality players and injury woes to Bradley Beal en route to a strong finish to the season.

Thus, it was no surprise that the LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers saw value in adding Westbrook. With James getting up there in age, it was reasonable to expect Westbrook to carry the load offensive for the purple and gold when The King is resting on the bench or when he needs to manage his load.

But it quickly became apparent that the Lakers couldn't overcome the fit issues between LeBron James and Russell Westbrook. Moreover, giving up Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Kyle Kuzma for the 2017 NBA MVP gutted their depth, forcing them to give minutes to role players who barely had any positive impact for them.

Westbrook has found himself involved in countless trade rumors ever since, as his current production was nowhere near justifiable relative to his current contract. And after months of speculation, the Lakers finally pulled the trigger on a Westbrook trade, sending him and a protected 2027 first-round pick for D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt.

That trade should give the Lakers three solid pieces that fit better alongside the LeBron James and Anthony Davis core. But with the Western Conference playoff picture remaining as congested as it is, it might be smart for the Lakers to continue adding more pieces that would aid in their quest to make the playoffs this season and to build a sustained playoff contending team for years to come.

Here's another trade the Lakers must pull off after sending Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz in a three-team trade.

Lakers trade Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV, protected 2029 LAL first-round pick to the Detroit Pistons for Bojan Bogdanovic

Seeing four members of the 2021-22 Minnesota Timberwolves' 46-win core play together yet again may be an exciting sight to see. Moreover, the Lakers will need a dash of continuity as they try to integrate three new pieces alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so retaining Patrick Beverley may not be the worst idea in the world.

However, even after the trades for Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt, there is still considerable room for the Lakers roster to improve. Enter Bojan Bogdanovic.

Currently toiling away on a putrid Pistons team, Bogdanovic is averaging 21.4 points per game on 48.9 percent shooting from the field and a blistering 42.0 percent from deep (2.5 made threes on 6.0 attempts per game). It should go without saying that Bogdanovic, being 33 years of age, is best suited to playing for a team with, at the very least, playoff aspirations.

Moreover, trading for Bojan Bogdanovic won't be a mere rental acquisition. Bogdanovic signed a two-year, $39 million extension with the Pistons; thus, the Lakers would do very well if they could nab the Croatian sharpshooter for a discount price.

It remains unclear whether the Pistons would budge on their unprotected first-round pick asking price for the veteran forward. They also don't appear to have any sense of urgency to trade the veteran forward away, since Bogdanovic is still able to help out the Pistons' young core in the locker room and they have him locked into a contract until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

But crazier things have happened in the NBA. Back in the offseason, did anyone expect that the Jazz would trade away Bojan Bogdanovic for Kelly Olynyk? Or did anyone expect that the Lakers will be able to trade Russell Westbrook for three solid pieces without having to give up both of their 2027 and 2029 first-round picks? How were the Lakers able to convince the Jazz to accept that deal despite the protections they put on their 2027 first-rounder?

Simply put, the Lakers look like master negotiators after handling the Westbrook situation with such composure and panache. Even after tons of pressure to deal away their limited draft capital, they managed to maximize the return on a former star whose stock has dipped considerably.

Thus, it wouldn't be too big of a surprise if the Lakers are able to swing a trade for Bojan Bogdanovic without having to give up a completely unprotected first-rounder. At the very least, the Lakers have every incentive to try and convince LeBron James that they truly mean business, as James might already be formulating his exit plan.