LOS ANGELES —  Say this about Rob Pelinka and the Lakers: They are not happy if they are not winning championships. 

The Lakers remade their roster with a bold move Thursday, acquiring veteran point guard Russell Westbrook from the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Montrezl Harrell and the 22nd overall pick in the NBA draft. 

The Lakers also received two future second-round picks from Washington.

It was brash, it was fully unexpected and it was agreed upon right when the draft began, almost overshadowing one of the league’s biggest off-season nights.

That is what the Lakers do. They make big moves without apologies and they often work.

Westbrook gives the Lakers a high-flying, uber-octane talent that will move their offense at a much faster pace than last season. Despite turning 33 in a few months, he is still a feisty defender and tireless competitor.

He gives the Lakers an elite playmaker beyond James that they sorely missed last season to help ease the burden on James and Anthony Davis.

Lakers officials, including Coach Frank Vogel and Pelinka, the team’s vice president of basketball operations, could not comment on the trade because it will not become official until August 6.

There were, however, plenty of other reactions on social media.

“With Westbrook joining LeBron and AD, the Lakers now have their version of the Big 3,” Magic Johnson tweeted. “Russell Westbrook is the most electric player in the NBA today and the Staples Center will be on fire next season!!”

Johnson added three fire emojis, underscoring his excitement.

James later posted his own reaction on Instagram — a picture of Westbrook in an airbrushed Lakers jersey, wearing his trademark number zero, with James and Davis in the background.

Perhaps the most humorous post of the day came from Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, a life-long fan and animated supporter of the Lakers.

“Westbrook I welcome you with joy and a wild look in my eye,” he tweeted in all capital letters with several exclamation points.

Yes, this was a big day for the Lakers.

They acquired the player who in May set the NBA record for all-time triple-doubles, passing Oscar Robertson with the 182nd of his 13-year career. Westbrook’s affinity for points, rebounds and assists formed the backbone of his NBA MVP campaign in 2017 while he was with Oklahoma City.

Westbrook’s desire to attack the glass can’t be overstated enough for a team that finished a mediocre 16th in rebounds last season. He averaged 11.5 per game last season, more than all but five players in the entire NBA.

One thing Westbrook does not give the Lakers is outside touch.

He is only a 31% career shooter behind the arc.

He joins a team that was 25th in made 3-pointers and traded their top two long-distance shooters from last season — Kuzma led the team with 137 three-pointers, Caldwell-Pope was second with 120.

The Lakers have very little money to spend on free agents because their three best players make almost $121 million next season (Westbrook, James and Davis). Some free agents who could help the Lakers’ shooting prospects for comparatively little money include Danny Green, Patty Mills, Wayne Ellington and J.J. Redick. Free agency begins Monday at 3 p.m. Pacific time. 

For Westbrook, the trade means a chance to chase a championship ring, something that’s eluded him since he was drafted fourth overall in 2008. He made the NBA Finals only once, as a fresh-faced 23-year-old with Oklahoma City in 2012, but the Thunder lost to Miami in five games.

The trade also marks Westbrook’s return to the Southern California region, where he attended high school (Lawndale Leuzinger) and college (UCLA).

The deal will be announced next week when Kuzma’s contract extension officially kicks in, allowing the Lakers and Wizards to make the deal work economically under the NBA’s stringent trade rules.

For what it’s worth, the Lakers drafted Kentucky forward Isaiah Jackson with the 22nd pick Thursday and will convey it next week to the Wizards, who will then reportedly trade Jackson to Indiana.

The Lakers did not have a second-round pick Thursday because of a trade with Detroit for Reggie Bullock in 2019.

As part of the Westbrook trade, the Lakers receive Washington’s second-round draft picks in 2024 and 2028.