Los Angeles Lakers: NBA executive believes young core will succeed

The Los Angeles Lakers took a big step this season, and one executive believes they have five players that could be part of a winning culture.

Even though the Los Angeles Lakers missed the playoffs this season, they certainly took a big step forward. With more wins than the season before, the Lakers certainly improved on the court. With some big wins against good teams, the future is getting bright in Los Angeles.

One of the reasons for the Lakers improving has been because of how they have drafted recently. In the 2017 NBA Draft, the Lakers were able to strike gold with their three first-round picks. Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Josh Hart all look like they are going to be good players in the NBA, as they all performed well in their rookie seasons.

Adding those three with Brandon Ingram and Julius Randle has created a good core in Los Angeles. With Ingram and Randle both having great years this season, the Lakers have proved that they can develop their talent.

Recently, one NBA executive talked with Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report about the Lakers future. Here’s what he had to say.

"“Ingram took a huge leap,” a Western Conference executive said. “[They have] five young players who look like they could be part of a winning culture.”"

The young core of the Lakers is certainly one of the best in the NBA, as they have done a really good job building through the draft. However, one piece of the young core is a restricted free agent and could be playing elsewhere next season.

If the Lakers do indeed sign LeBron James and Paul George like they hope this offseason, it would mean that Randle is not going to be on the team. After a great season, Randle is certainly deserving of being paid.

Next: Re-Drafting the 2017 NBA Draft

It will be very interesting to see what the Lakers do with Randle, as he proved himself a lot this season. When he was in the starting lineup, Randle was a walking 20-10 player, which is not easy in the NBA. We will have to wait and see what the future holds for Randle, but the Lakers certainly have a great young core with or without him.