– Can be a building block
While adding a third star might be the plan for the Lakers, they also have to think about the future when it comes to any decision. Due to the expensive price of getting Anthony Davis, the young core of the Lakers is pretty much all gone. However, Davis is still fairly young, which is certainly a positive.
The Lakers have LeBron James under contract for three more seasons, and those could quite possibly be his final three seasons in the NBA. Next season and the following one are certainly the best chances that the Lakers will have to win with James.
However, Davis will still be very much in his prime when James’ contract ends, and he could use a sidekick. At just 23-years-old, Russell would not only help the Lakers win now, he could help them win for years to come.
If Russell keeps improving like he should at his age, he could become one of the best guards in the league and be a great duo with Anthony Davis. With the young core all but gone, signing Russell to a deal would definitely give the Lakers long-term outlook some more positives. As the franchise tries to sustain success, signing a young free agent like Russell would help that.