The Russell Westbrook experiment in Los Angeles has been less than ideal over the past two years and has officially come to an end. With the West stocking up everywhere, the Lakers knew they had to make a splash in order to make a push to the playoffs.The Lakers executed a three-team trade with the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves, involving a total of eight players and multiple draft picks Wednesday night. The Lakers sent Russell Westbrook, Juan Tuscano-Anderson, and Damian Jones to the Utah Jazz in exchange for Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt while also acquiring D'Angelo Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Jazz also sent Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to the Timberwolves while accumulating even more draft capital.So just what is the fantasy basketball fallout of this blockbuster trade? Let's examine how each of the teams and players in the deal may be affected going forward. 

Fantasy Basketball Fallout: Russell Westbrook

Westbrook is expected to be bought out from Utah and enter free agency. There are already rumors of teams interested in the veteran point guard, including the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls. If Westbrook were to be claimed, he would likely be given a prominent role immediately given these three teams are all lacking in the point guard position. Westbrook's caveat has always been his personality fit so it remains to be seen how well he can mesh with his new team if he is claimed. 

Fantasy Basketball Fallout: Lakers

The Lakers get some much-needed spacing and size with the additions of Russell, Beasley, and Vanderbilt. Russell is shooting a career-high 39.1 percent from three while averaging 17.9 points, 6.2 assists, and 1.1 steals per game this season. Russell should absorb Westbrook's minutes and will likely start at point guard over ... [More]

Utah Jazz forward/center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) will return to the lineup Saturday against Dallas. He has finally recovered from a left ankle sprain and is good to go after missing eight games. Olynyk has been very effective in 39 games this season, averaging 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals per game with 50-percent shooting. Walker Kessler has started in Olynyk's place during his absence and Jazz head coach Will Hardy has hinted that the two will begin to start together, which is great news for fantasy managers. Saturday's game is a great matchup for both players, with the Mavericks lacking size.

Utah Jazz forward/center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) will miss a seventh consecutive game Monday against Charlotte. He has been taken out by a left ankle sprain, and while there were initial hopes of him needing only a week to recover, it's now become clear that he isn't able to make a quick return. Olynyk has begun on-court work again, but he is expected to miss another week, at least. The injury has left the Jazz without a guy who does a bit of everything for the team. Olynyk has averaged 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals for the season. Walker Kessler has taken over the starter's job, drawing plenty of praise, although he struggled last time out against Brooklyn with a two-point, six-rebound effort. However, the 21-year-old rookie is in a great bounce-back spot on Monday, facing a team that has some of the worst defensive and rebounding numbers in the league against centers.

Utah Jazz forward/center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) will miss a fifth consecutive game Wednesday versus the Clippers. There were hopes of him possibly returning for the game after Utah ruled him out for a week last Wednesday, but Olynyk will remain on the sidelines. The veteran is having a solid campaign in Salt Lake City, averaging 12.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Walker Kessler has joined the starting unit in Olynyk's absence, looking very impressive and even posting a 20-20 game last time out against Memphis. He is averaging a double-double with 2.3 blocks as a starter during his rookie season.

Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (ankle) will miss at least one week of action. The 31-year-old missed Tuesday's game and it appears this won't be a one-game absence. The organization is going to shut him down for a week while Olynyk recovers from his sprained left ankle. Walker Kessler should continue to start, while Olynyk is out. He has been playing very well lately and should be rostered in most fantasy formats right now. Fantasy managers should double check the waiver wire to make sure Kessler isn't available.

Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (ankle) won't suit up for Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In fact, it sounds like Olynyk is likely to miss more than one game due to his sprained left ankle. Head coach Will Hardy mentioned that Olynyk's injury is more significant than a day-to-day type of issue. That being said, Walker Kessler is likely to see a handful of starts in the near future. He has been solid this season, so he should be added if he's available on the waiver wire. Kessler is providing 11th-round value in 9-cat formats right now. He should see increased value with Olynyk sidelined, so pick him up if he's available.

Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (ankle) is listed as out against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night. The 31-year-old was able to play almost 30 minutes in the team's last contest but picked up an ankle sprain in the process. Walker Kessler, if not rostered already, would be the top streaming option out of this situation. After Kessler, Jarred Vanderbilt will probably see higher usage in the front court as well.

Utah Jazz center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) will not play Monday against the San Antonio Spurs. Olynyk continues to be sidelined with an ankle sprain he suffered last week and there have been no reports of his progress yet. Walker Kessler and Jarred Vanderbilt will continue to split the center minutes until Olynyk is back on the court.

Utah Jazz center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) won't play on Thursday against the Wizards, his third consecutive absence because of a sprained left ankle. Rookie Walker Kessler, who's averaged 9.3 points, 8.5 boards, and 2.3 blocks while shooting 81.8% from the field in his four starts this season, is expected to remain in the starting lineup. Kessler should see plenty of attention from category managers while also serving as a popular value option in DFS formats.

Utah Jazz center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) will miss his second straight game Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons. Olynyk is dealing with an ankle sprain and the Jazz have no incentive to rush him back. Walker Kessler will continue to start alongside Jarred Vanderbilt while Rudy Gay should pick up some extra minutes off the bench. Kessler remains an elite streamer for blocks while Olynyk is out.

Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. His streak of playing in 32 straight games will come to an end. It's uncertain whether Jarred Vanderbilt or Walker Kessler will get the start on Monday. Kessler has been better lately with some impressive blocking abilities. He'd be a decent streaming option if given the starting nod. Fantasy managers will have to check back closer to tip-off for more information.

Utah Jazz forward/center Kelly Olynyk collected his first double-double of the season as the team dropped the game to the New York Knicks on Tuesday. The 10th-year forward finished with 27 points, 11 rebounds, two assists, and one steal on 7-for-13 shooting overall and 11-for-13 from the free-throw line. He's gotten close to a double-double a few times so far this season but came up just shy of that mark. He's been a great value play in DFS and also a great pick in all formats with an ADP of 138.5.

It's funny that every year at the NBA Draft, once the end of the guaranteed money and live appearances arrives at the end of the first round, everybody tunes out and refers to the 60th pick as "Mr. Irrelevant." That's not very accurate though, is it? Speaking historically, the title of "Mr. Irrelevant" could just as easily be applied to each pick in the draft, as organizations differ greatly in their evaluation of talent and their own needs, particularly in a year without the NCAA tournament. The nickname just doesn't reflect how basketball works anymore. Executives strategically stockpile second-round draft picks for the less burdensome financial obligations, and organizations in rebuilding mode get super creative to field a respectable team on a budget.Particularly in the NBA where worldwide talent is plentiful and positional lines continue to fade, opportunity is everything: in the right situation, the right under-the-radar player can make an immediate, poignant statement. With professional development leagues for 16-18-year-olds, an ever-expanding set of domestic/international opportunities due to the sheer growth of basketball, and widespread NIL rights for college athletes, players of all levels and localities are starting to get their due exposure and now have enough freedom to hone their skills in a place, and at a pace that fits best with their path to the NBA.Plus, I am inherently skeptical and distrusting of scouting from the high school level to pre-Draft. That's why in this annual article, I tend to favor overlooked college players (love the mid-majors/non-power conferences) with either well-rounded, polished games, or specific statistical specialties.We are going to discuss a handful of 2022 second-round picks and undrafted free agent (UDFA) signees who, given their individual skillsets and circumstances, warrant the attention of Fantasy Basketball Managers as potential high-impact rookies for the 2022-23 campaign who can quietly be acquired on clearance once they start showing signs of emergence.... [More]

The Utah Jazz have reportedly acquired veteran center Kelly Olynyk and combo guard Saben Lee from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Olynyk will be joining his fourth organization in the past three seasons, having spent just one year with the Pistons, where he averaged 9.1 PPG over 40 contests. Utah will have a new-look roster come the start of the 2022-23 season and Olynyk could figure prominently into the team's frontcourt alongside Walker Kessler and the newly acquired Cody Zeller. Lee's role is less clear in a crowded backcourt; the 23-year-old averaged 5.6 PPG over each of the past two seasons with Detroit.

Detroit Pistons center Kelly Olynyk (rest) has been removed from the injury report ahead of Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He has sat out two of the last three games due to rest purposes. Although, Olynyk should be available for the shorthanded Pistons on Friday. Braxton Key has been serving as the backup center, but should take a backseat to Olynyk. Fantasy managers in deep leagues should consider Olynyk a possible streaming option, assuming he does play on Friday.

The Detroit Pistons have ruled out power forward Marvin Bagley III (wrist) and center Kelly Olynyk (rest) for Friday night's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. According to the injury report, Bagley has a left hip strain, but he may just be receiving a day of rest like his teammate, Olynyk. Isaiah Stewart should dominate the center minutes on Friday and we should see rookie Isaiah Livers get a good amount of run at power forward. It wouldn't be surprising to see another rookie, Jamorko Pickett, make his way into the rotation as well.

Detroit Pistons power forward/center Kelly Olynyk (ankle) has been deemed questionable to play in Monday's contest vs. Portland due to a sore left ankle. Olynyk has carved out a niche among Detroit's second unit over the past month and a half, although averaging just 17.2 minutes per night in that span has put him on the wrong side of the waiver wire fence. With Jerami Grant (knee) already ruled out against a Trail Blazers defense that has yielded at least 118 points in 12 games, Marvin Bagley III and Isaiah Livers would presumably step into larger -- and DFS-relevant -- roles should Olynyk be held out.

Detroit Pistons center Kelly Olynyk has been placed in the league's health and safety protocols, ruling him out indefinitely, beginning with Sunday's game vs. Denver. Olynyk played in just two games since returning to action after a two-plus month layoff due to a sprained knee. Isaiah Stewart stands to remain the team's starting center with Trey Lyles likely to see a larger role within the second unit without Olynyk available. While the veteran big man has scored in double figures in nine of his 12 outings this season, his availability has been extremely limited, making him a difficult season-long asset to hold down a roster spot.

Detroit Pistons forward Kelly Olynyk (knee) is expected to play during Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings. He has not suited up for a game since November 10, so there could be some rust. It'll be interesting to see how Olynyk fits back into the rotation after all this time. Trey Lyles has been playing well lately, but Olynyk should take away some of his playing time. Possibly, Isaiah Stewart loses some value and minutes with Olynyk back on the floor. Fantasy managers shouldn't rush to grab Olynyk off the waiver wire. He'll likely be stuck in a committee and won't contribute enough to warrant adding in any formats.

Detroit Pistons center Kelly Olynyk (knee) is out for Saturday's matchup against Toronto. The veteran is currently sidelined because of a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee. Nonetheless, Isaiah Stewart should get more run moving ahead without Olynyk in the lineup, although he isn't a consistent fantasy option.