Lakers Trade Rumors: LA 'Dangling' D'Angelo Russell to Acquire Top-12 Draft Pick

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2716689-lakers-trade-rumors-la-dangling-dangelo-russell-to-acquire-top-12-draft-pick



Lakers Trade Rumors: LA 'Dangling' D'Angelo Russell to Acquire Top-12 Draft Pick



MIKE CHIARI



JUNE 20, 2017




Los Angeles Lakers' D'Angelo Russell plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, March 30, 2017, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Jim Mone/Associated Press



ESPN's Chad Ford reported Monday that the Los Angeles Lakers are dangling guard D'Angelo Russell in order to land another top-12 pick in the 2017 NBA draft.

Ford added that Duke guard Luke Kennard and Gonzaga center Zach Collins are players they may be targeting in that range.

Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders later tweeted that he was told the rumor was inaccurate, however.

L.A. has long been expected to select UCLA guard Lonzo Ball with the No. 2 overall pick. If it does so, a logjam would form in the backcourt with Russell and Jordan Clarkson.

The Lakers took Russell with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft out of Ohio State, and the 21-year-old is still coming into his own.


Last season, Russell averaged 15.6 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from long range.

There has already been some significant movement in this year's draft, as the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers finalized a deal Monday that resulted in Philly's moving up from No. 3 to No. 1 in the first round.

If the Lakers are able to replace Russell with Ball and add another intriguing prospect to the mix, they will have plenty of potential to feel good about with Clarkson, Julius Randle and Brandon Ingram also on board.

Also, since L.A. no longer owns its 2018 first-round pick, making an even bigger splash during the first round of the 2017 draft could be key in terms of accelerating the rebuilding process.


bob
MY NOTE:  My takeaways from this are:

1.  If they are shopping Russell (not the first time I've heard this), then that increases the likelihood they are taking Ball, since they will need a point guard and Ball is the prime suspect for an LA team.  That is good news for us since that would mean that both Jackson and Tatum would be available @ #3.  Our choice, not Hobson's Choice.  This doesn't mean that Danny will take one of them, we all know that nobody knows what he's thinking, but it means that he can.  Or, he can pick whichever one a trading partner prefers and since there might be more than one suitor being able to offer either increases opportunities for a sweeter deal.

2.  If they succeed in trading Russell for a top 12 pick, I doubt it will be higher than 6, since at 6 at least one if not two of Fox or Smith or Monk will be available.  Why would Sacto @ 5 take Russell instead of one of those 3?  Who would take Russell instead of one of those 3?  That means that it would have to be a team that doesn't need a guard and doesn't like Isaac or Collins or one of the bigs.  Phoenix doesn't need a guard and I cannot see them trading #4 for Russell.  Orlando @ 6?  Why not just take one of the two left over?  Same with Minny.  Rubio and Russell and Kris Dunn?  The problem is that they are offering a guard in a guard-heavy draft and timing is everything.

3.  Trading Russell for a "top 12" pick would be a de facto admission that the selection of Russell @ #2 was a disaster.  Another nail in the legacy of Dr. Buss' idiot son as well as a waste of the fruit of an absolutely horrible season.  Eric Pincus says that the rumor is not true but Magic has said the only untouchable on the team is Ingram, so why wouldn't be Russell be available for a quality draft pick?


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Ball may make Russell better on offense if they end up playing together, but I really do not see any team
in the lottery trading their pick for Russell as he has been a very confusing performer regardless of where he was picked in the draft.

Admitting a mistake they made two years ago by not taking Porzingas.............

It's easy to look back now and say LA should have drafted Porginzingis over Russell. Two years ago, it looked like LA was going to draft Okafor. LA had Randle at PF who broke his leg in his 1st game as a Laker. PF was the one position LA did not need to fill.
As I sat at Barclays Center two years ago, when the Knicks chose Porzingis with the #4 pick, thunderous boos were heard throughout the arena. I said that was a very good pick for NY.

Back to 2017, I would like to see if LA can get a lottery pick for Russell. Just adding two more years to a rookie scale contract is a huge plus. Some still like Russell. I'm neutral toward him, but I'm not sure the Lakers want to sell too low on him.

Rumors the Lakers are offering Russell for a top-12 pick are ‘inaccurate,’ per @Eric Pincus silverscreenandroll.com/2017/6/20/1583… pic.twitter.com/DqrEiiwKZl

Russell and George have the same agent, and he wants them to play together.