NBA Rumors: With the Los Angeles Lakers likely adding a point guard at the 2017 NBA Draft, D’Angelo Russell is already garnering trade interest
The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t win the 2017 NBA Draft Lottery, but they also didn’t fall out of the top 3. In other words, they managed to keep their pick. In fact, they even moved up one slot, securing the second overall pick in the draft.
That means, that one of Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball – probably the latter – will be making their way to Los Angeles. Either way, that could make things extremely crowded in the Lakers backcourt.
And it seems that multiple executives around the League know that. Less than a few hours after the NBA Draft Lottery, multiple NBA teams were already preparing trade packages to offer Magic Johnson for D’Angelo Russell, the team’s current starting point guard.
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"[via Si.com]With the Los Angeles Lakers coming away with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft following Tuesday night’s lottery, multiple NBA teams are evaluating trade packages for D’Angelo Russell, league sources told SI.com."
Frankly put, these types of whispers will only grow as the 2017 NBA Draft draws closer and closer. As currently constructed, the Lakers have Russell, Nick Young and Jordan Clarkson as their prominent backcourt players – with Russell and Clarkson being two of their brightest prospects on the roster.
However, if Ball (the expected pick in next month’s draft) can’t co-exist with Russell on the floor, or even if the Lakers have even the slightest of reservations of it working, it complicates things.
Must Read: 2017 NBA Draft Lottery: Results, Fallout And Quick Takeaways
And Clarkson, who’s more of a shooting guard than lead guard, would probably fit better next to a player like Ball. That might leave Russell out in the cold, especially if the Lakers don’t view him as an off-guard.
So, why not move him before it becomes a problem? It could happen, and if it does it probably happens at the NBA Draft.