Lakers Rumors: D’Angelo Russell trade guarantees Lonzo Ball selection
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers sent shockwaves throughout the NBA by dealing guard D’Angelo Russell. Now, what Lakers rumors does that entail?
It happened, it finally happened. D’Angelo Russell being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers was a constant topic of discussion, yet it never quite seemed all that doable. The Lakers managed to shock everyone with this deal, creating a ripple effect throughout the NBA. We must now look ahead at what the future Lakers rumors suggest.
In case you missed it, the Los Angeles Lakers flipped D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Brook Lopez and the Boston Celtics 27th overall pick in this year’s draft. This move is stunning, to say the least, but it does accomplish some things.
First, this is almost certainly a long-term plan to bring a superstar to Los Angeles. The Lakers needed to get rid of Mozgov, Luol Deng, or both – and they did just that. Los Angeles is taking in a larger contract next year in Brook Lopez, but he is on an expiring contract and will likely walk after next season.
Also, the Lakers have another draft pick at their disposal. Reports are circling that the Lakers are in talks with the Pacers to bring in Paul George. Los Angeles would send the 27th and 28th pick alongside either Jordan Clarkson or Julius Randle. That is the proposed deal at hand; if it is good or not is a topic for another day.
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However, the even bigger effect this deal has had is practically sealing who the Lakers will select in the 2017 NBA Draft. That man in Lonzo Ball, and you may know him by now. Ball has been the popular choice to head to LA for quite some time now, but now it seems like a foregone conclusion.
For a while, many believed that the Lakers would bring in Ball and move Russell to the shooting guard position. This made sense, Russell is a score first guard and would be better suited at the two alongside a playmaker like Ball. Yet, that is not the case, as the Lakers did not even give Russell a chance to play alongside Ball.
Plus, there is practically no chance that the Lakers will head to the free agency market to bring in a new starting caliber point guard. Guys like Chris Paul, Steph Curry, Kyle Lowry, and Derrick Rose will likely all be free agents this summer. The class is stacked, but the Lakers have no real great fit and would be better suited to sign a star in the future.
I mean, that was the whole purpose of this deal, right? To clear cap space to bring in Paul George and hopefully build the perfect super team around him, right?
Next: Three things to know about the D'Angelo Russell trade
Right now, it is not clear exactly what the Lakers gameplan is. All we can do is stick with what we know, and if the latest Lakers rumors mean anything, we can guarantee that Lonzo Ball will be a Laker.