Lakers rumors: How would LA look if they draft Lonzo Ball?

Small Forward

Starter: Nick Young | Bench: Brandon Ingram

Assuming that Nick Young isn’t traded this year, he’ll be a great transition player for the Lakers moving forward. Luol Deng was brought in for the same reasons as Mozgov last year — veteran leadership — but that hasn’t panned out for him either.

Unfortunately, because of the lack of contribution from Deng, he could also be cut in the off-season since it’s highly unlikely that a team will trade for him given his salary.

Being the best paid player on the team hasn’t translated for him on the court, as he’s averaging just eight points, five assists, and one rebound.

Young, on the other hand, knows how to bring energy to the game in a way we haven’t seen before this season. Obviously, last year was still caught up in the beef between him and teammate D’Angelo Russell.

As that was settled, Young simultaneously found himself anew. Scoring more, shooting more, and sharing more meant that his value to the team was going to go up.

Ingram still needs to grow more, both physically and mentally, as his game continues to take shape. Once he becomes mature in his abilities, it’ll be his starting position to lose.

But for right now, it’s best if the Lakers play it smart on this one.