Los Angeles Lakers Rumors: Many teams inquired about trading for Brandon Ingram, but the Lakers turned them all away.
The most recent Los Angeles Lakers rumors have revolved around their free agency pursuits. The Lakers didn’t go crazy in free agency, as they have only signed shooting guard, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Los Angeles has been active in talks, as they have met with a number of free agents, namely in the backcourt. The Lakers have revamped their backcourt this offseason. They signed Caldwell-Pope, who should step into the starting lineup alongside the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Lonzo Ball.
The only holdover in the backcourt for the Lakers is combo guard Jordan Clarkson. Nick Young opted out of his contract and decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors. David Nwaba was waived to make room financially for Caldwell-Pope. D’Angelo Russell was traded, along with Timofey Mozgov, to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in the draft.
Prior to and during the draft is actually when the Lakers were most active in reshaping their roster this offseason. Leading up to the draft the Lakers were involved in a lot of trade talks.
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The Lakers goals were clear in trade negotiations. They wanted to clear future cap space. Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka were stuck with some bad contracts, namely Mozgov and Luol Deng. Moving such contracts is not easy. As a result, the Lakers had to sweeten the pot.
To move Mozgov’s contract the Lakers had to include Russell, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. To entice a team to take on a bad deal, they have to receive something worthwhile. To move Mozgov, it was Russell.
But, there were teams that wanted Brandon Ingram instead. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft struggled at the beginning of his rookie season. He played much better after the All-Star break, showing the potential that he has.
Other teams took notice as well. Ingram has a very high ceiling, which we saw a glimpse of during the Las Vegas Summer League before he was shut down. As a result, Ingram’s name popped up in multiple trade rumors according to Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.
According to Medina, Johnson said that everyone who called asked about Ingram. The answer to everyone was the same as well. “Anybody that called us wanted him,” Johnson said. “We said, ‘No thank you.’”
The Lakers have considered Ingram untouchable, and rightfully so. While his stats as a rookie weren’t great, Ingram is the type of player you want to build around. His potential and ceiling are very high, but he also sets a great example with his work ethic. This offseason he worked tirelessly on his jump shot and it showed in the Las Vegas Summer League.
The way Ingram carries himself is one of the qualities that Johnson praised.
"“The guy only cares about winning and basketball,” Johnson said. “He’s quiet and doesn’t do anything else. He is a very intelligent young man and is our hardest worker.”"
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The Lakers were smart to turn teams away that wanted Ingram. Los Angeles is set up well for the future with all of the young players they have on their roster. Keeping them together will make them an even more attractive landing spot for free agents.