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NBA News: D’Angelo Russell Officially Declares For Draft

By Nick Barbarino

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As the 2015 NBA lottery approaches, Laker fans are anticipating whether or not the team will keep their pick. The Lakers currently have an 82 percent chance of keeping their top-5 protected pick, so there’s still a small chance they could end up losing it to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Four of the presumed top five players have already declared for the draft, including Duke’s Jahlil Okafor and Kentucky’s Karl Towns. The only player that had not declared yet was Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Russell finally declared for the draft according to ESPN’s Paul Biancardi.

“This was a hard decision because I knew I could come back and play with my teammates who I love, and to be coached by coach Thad Matta again would have been awesome, but at the same time I wanted to pursue my dream of playing in the NBA” – D’Angelo Russell

Russell is arguably the best point guard entering the draft. With immense size and speed, many NBA executives see him as a combo guard able to play alongside another point guard if need be.

In his only season at Ohio State, Russell averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5 assists, drawing comparisons to the likes of Russell Westbrook and James Harden. Russell’s stellar play in both the Big 10 and NCAA Tournament has seen him skyrocket up NBA mock drafts.

Several mock drafts currently have Russell as their fourth ranked prospect. Assuming the Lakers are able to keep their pick at No. 4, Russell could find himself playing for the purple and gold. While this is all speculation, the Lakers will have a much better sense of who they will draft come May 19.

Next: NBA Rumors: Will LaMarcus Aldridge Leave Portland?

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