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D’Angelo Russell Trade: Internet reaction to blockbuster deal

By Jamaal Artis

Dec 29, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) and center Timofey Mozgov (20) pressure Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2016; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) and center Timofey Mozgov (20) pressure Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) in the first quarter of the game at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports /
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Of course the internet reacted to the D’Angelo Russell trade.

The silly season of the NBA off-season is upon us, and it looks like the Cleveland Cavaliers blowing up the front office that took the team to three straight NBA Finals was only the beginning.  As they say on the “interweb,” the Los Angeles Lakers looked at the Cavaliers moves and said “hold my beer.”

The Lakers traded the Timofey Mozgov and D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and the number 27 draft pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.  Obviously when you trade your number 2 pick from the 2015 draft there’s going to be quite a lot of opinions on the move.

The first indication of the move was dropped by NBA reporter extraordinaire Adrian Worjnarowski, whose reporting has now become an adjective for reporting know as the “Woj Bomb.”

Of course once you get the “Woj Bomb,” you need some explanation.

So there you have it. Jim Buss (there’s that name again) decided to give Mozgov a dumb free agent contract at 12:01 last year when free agency started. This despite nobody bidding against them; the Lakers had to dump a young point guard to sweeten the deal.

Additionally, D’Angelo Russell is partially to blame for his availability if you ask OC Register columnist Bill Oram.

As expected, not everybody was happy about the trade and losing out on Russell’s potential.

This trade might not just be about free agency next summer, by adding an asset late in the first round the Lakers gave themselves a chance to trade for the Indiana Pacers Paul George now.

If the other shoe does drop, that means the Lakers will have Paul George. Also, now that Russell is gone, for some that guarantees the second overall pick. Hint: Lonzo Ball.

This might mean that Lonzo’s father may be the happiest the Lakers were willing to trade Russell.

Next: Could Lakers Make New Super Team?

Finally, for better or for worse, big changes are coming. And come September there will be a different team on the Staples Center court.

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