Lakers Rumors: Which trade destination is the best for D’Angelo Russell?

4. New York Knicks

Heading from one massive market to another, D’Angelo Russell would be a great fit on the New York Knicks. With Carmelo Anthony potentially seeing his time in New York come to a close, the Lakers may look to bring in the veteran small forward and some draft picks in exchange for Russell.

While this deal is not the worst in the world, Anthony is a vacuum for the ball and does not have the same playmaking ability that he once did. Add in factors such as a tight cap, and the potential landing of Paul George in the future, and Anthony may not be the wisest choice for the Lakers. However, the Knicks could likely still piece together a nice package with some picks for the young guard.

Regardless of how well this works for the Lakers, adding Russell to this Knicks team would be huge. Derrick Rose is a free agent, meaning that Russell can come in and fill his spot, likely doing better, for the Knicks. Heck, even if the Knicks bring Rose back into the fold they can slot Russell at the two, giving the Knicks a great playmaking backcourt.

With fellow draft class member Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks would then have two young stars to build around for the future. Running Phil Jackson’s coveted triangle offense, seeing D’Angelo Russell in a Knicks uniform shouldn’t be completely ruled out.