Los Angeles Lakers: Pre-Free Agency starting lineup prediction

Point Guard: D’Angelo Russell

I was really hoping Lonzo Ball was still going to be here, out of all the young core that the Lakers had, Lonzo was the one I least wanted to see go in a trade. However we have to move on and the Lakers will badly need a point guard who can run the show.

While Ball is no longer a Laker, it might be time to bring back a former member of the Purple and Gold who’s time with the Lakers was cut far too short. Cue D’Angelo Russell. With the Brooklyn Nets, D’Angelo has been able to show the immense talent that all of Lakers Nation knew he had. He was able to lead a young Nets team to the playoffs and he was also able to make the Eastern Conference All-Star team this season.

With the Nets pursuing Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, it makes the likelihood of them releasing Russell into unrestricted free agency a lot higher. While I do think there will be a market for Russell, I’m not 100% sure he will get a max contract from anyone. The Suns do not have the necessary cap space to offer Russell a max, and the New York Knicks for the moment have Dennis Smith Jr so point guard isn’t an immediate need. I could see the Indiana Pacers wanting to have Russell and Victor Oladipo together to form a young talented duo. But at the end of the day, I can see the Lakers potentially offering Russell a chance at a championship for top money.

With Russell’s ability to shoot the ball and his stellar court vision, he would make an ideal scoring option for the Lakers when the likes of Davis and LeBron are being hassled by opposing teams best defenders.