D’Angelo Russell Trade: Three things to know about the stunning move
By Keith Rivas
![Feb 26, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with guard D'Angelo Russell (1) in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports Feb 26, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers head coach Luke Walton talks with guard D'Angelo Russell (1) in the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/685672812a8f31487a3ef39d48bdffb1e96124183ec8dba7e4cda076b767da84.jpg)
It’s a cold reminder that this front office is strictly business
While we’d like to imagine that Johnson and Pelinka care about feelings, the reality is that they’ve got a job to do. Feelings won’t win the Lakers any games, and it certainly won’t get them anywhere near a state of contention.
They’re the one team that this league needs back. Given that the Warriors and Cavaliers are set to be explosively dominant for at least a few more seasons, Los Angeles sees this as their real window of opportunity.
It’s hard to blame them, too.
With the move, the Lakers could very well be back in contention before we know it. There’s always the chance of this being the first domino, too.
As our Jason Reed writes, there could be a three star super team in purple and gold and it could be one of the best the league has seen.
Given interest from Paul George, rumored interest from LeBron James, and potential interest from big names in the future, this move was huge for the organization.
They needed to be confident in their plan, and this shows just how little importance D’Angelo Russell had in their long term thinking.