The Los Angeles Lakers roster looks very different than it did on opening night after a busy 2023 NBA trade deadline. Rob Pelinka added depth, shooting, wing size, versatility, rim protection, youth, and athleticism while holding onto a first-round pick, Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and financial flexibility.

The Lakers got better. The roster makes more sense around LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Russell Westbrook is history. Let's grade each of the Lakers' transactions and assess their overall deadline performance.

Lakers Trades Deadline Grades

Lakers trade Russell Westbrook, Damian Jones, Juan Toscano-Anderson, and a top-4 protected 2027 first-round pick for D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt

I graded this three-team blockbuster on Wednesday, so I'll refer you there for an in-depth breakdown.

In short, the Lakers got out of the Westbrook business — addition by subtraction, on the court and in the locker room — surrendered two non-rotation players and spent one first-rounder for three quality supporting pieces.

Russell, amid the most efficient season of his career, spaces the floor and offers quality play-making. Beasley improves their porous three-point shooting output. Vanderbilt (11.7 rebounds per 36 minutes) helps on the glass (a weakness for the Lakers) and provides energetic frontcourt defensive versatility.

Russell is on an expiring deal, while Beasley and Vanderbilt have affordable, easily tradable team options for 2023-24. Grade: A-

Lakers trade Thomas Bryant for Davon Reed, three second-round picks

Bryant — an extremely good dude and hard worker — requested a trade, so part of this move is the Lakers obliging the center. Bryant helped keep the Lakers afloat during AD's absence and outplayed his minimum contract. His playing time was cut back after AD returned and the Lakers weren't going to re-sign him. His defensive issues may have prevented him from seeing playoff burn.

He leaves an indelible legacy with the Lakers:

Reed probably won't play much in Los Angeles, but getting three second-rounders essentially means they acquired Rui Hachimura straight up for Kendrick Nunn. Grade: B+

Lakers trade Patrick Beverley, second-round pick for Mo Bamba

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The Lakers suddenly have elite rim protection. They now boast two lanky, athletic shot-blockers (Bamba, Wenyen Gabriel) who can shoot the 3 backing up Davis.

Beverley played better since December after a brutal start and was a valued locker-room leader, but he was redundant on a roster full of 6'4 and under guards — which remains the case after the additions of Russell and Beasley (R.I.P. to Darvin Ham's precious Beverley-Dennis Schroder lineups!) Like Bryant, he too leaves an indelible mark on the Lakers:

Bamba, 24, could be a steal. The seven-footer blocks 2.7 shots per 36 minutes for his career and is hitting nearly 40% of his 3s in 2022-3.

The Lakers' frontcount of AD, Bamba, Gabriel, Vanderbilt, Hachimura, and LeBron is deep, long, athletic, and full of guys who can make outside shots and defend multiple positions.

Bamba is owed $10.3 million in 2023-24, another contract that is easily digestible — or tradable. Grade: B+

Did the Lakers improve enough to win a title? Maybe not. But they maximized the value of each outgoing asset and theoretically re-created the LeBron+AD+role player template that resulted in a championship in 2020.

Plus, they have a roster comprised of young players on non-minimum, tradable contracts whom they can either move forward with next season and establish continuity or easily part with if things don't work out. This is a real NBA roster team — on the court and on the cap sheet.

Lakers overall trade deadline grade: A-