Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have secured the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft and will presumably pick a guard in Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, Lakers rumors are rumbling that multiple teams are interested in a trade for D’Angelo Russell.
It seems the league-wide consensus is that if the Los Angeles Lakers choose a guard in the upcoming draft, they will be willing to unload D’Angelo Russell, and the Lakers rumors are already flying.
This certainly gives the Lakers a number of options to choose from, some of which might be enticing.
However, Russell provided L.A. with high-scoring performances after the All-Star break and showed that he was trending upwards.
Russell even spent a considerable amount of time at the shooting guard position with Jordan Clarkson at the 1 and displayed a knack for playing off the ball.
With the success and potential of a highly efficient Clarkson-Russell tandem, there’s no guarantee the Lakers want to unload a player like Russell. He proved to be a prolific scorer at times and reinforced the ice in his veins with a clutch game-winner during L.A.’s late-season five-game win streak.
D'Angelo Russell's game winner vs Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/fQ1ZB5Wg7f
— Laker Facts (@LakerFacts) April 10, 2017
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Because of Russell’s second half of the season, it’s understandable other teams would be after him. But that’s also a reason the Lakers might think to keep him. In fact, it might not be wise for L.A. to move Russell after he showed signs of star potential toward the end of the season.
He can light up the scoreboard like some of the best in the NBA and after only being in the league for two years, he’s nowhere near being a finished product.
Consider an All-Star like Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls. He didn’t average more than 20 points per game and become a bona fide star in the league until his fourth season, which means a guy like Russell — who when we last saw him play was trending in the right direction — can still take that next step.
Time will tell whether L.A. intends to “trust the process” or if they intend to trade for a star right away. What is known is that the flexibility of their No. 2 pick is already at work with teams knocking on their door.
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Should the Lakers consider including D’Angelo Russell in trade packages with other NBA teams? Will the Lakers be better off developing their young talent in-house? Let us know what you think in the comments below.