Los Angeles Lakers: 4 reasons trading D’Angelo Russell was the right move

Mar 9, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) dribbles against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) dribbles against the Phoenix Suns during the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
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Los Angeles Lakers: 4 reasons trading
Los Angeles Lakers: 4 reasons trading

Four reasons the Los Angeles Lakers made the right decision to trade point guard D’Angelo Russell.

The Los Angeles Lakers made a bold move on Tuesday afternoon. They agreed to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets, shaking up part of their young core at the expense of clearing cap space.

The trade will not be done until Thursday night at the 2017 NBA Draft. But, the parameters have been agreed upon. The Lakers will send 2015 second overall pick, D’Angelo Russell, and Timofey Mozgov to the Nets in exchange for Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in the draft. On paper, it is a deal that looks good for both teams for a multitude of reasons.

It was a trade that surprised a lot of people. It is tough to see a No. 2 overall pick traded before his rookie deal is even close to ending. A lot of Lakers fans liked what Russell brought to the team and was high on his potential.

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The Lakers are taking a gamble; there is a chance that Russell can realize his potential eventually. But, it is a worthwhile gamble for the Lakers.

If the Lakers want to take that next step in the rebuild, Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka had to undo some of the poor decisions made by the last regime. While trading a young player like Russell hurts, it was a necessary move if the Lakers want to truly move out of the doldrums and advance their rebuild.

While a lot of people were down on this trade, as they are high on Russell’s potential, there are a lot of good things to come from this trade. Check out our slideshow of four reasons this was a good trade for the Lakers to make.