The Los Angeles Lakers winning the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft is a game-changer in many ways for the franchise.
The Lakers are widely expected to use the pick to select Lonzo Ball, whom they reportedly love. The assumption is that Boston passes on Lonzo with the top overall pick, especially considering LaVar Ball has made it clear he wants his son to be a Laker.
If the Lakers draft Ball, that could make D’Angelo Russell expendable. SI reports that teams are already considering trade packages for Russell.
Russell was the No. 2 overall pick by the Lakers in 2015. He had a rough rookie season in which he somewhat clashed with head coach Byron Scott, but he picked up his stats and showed some improvement this season. The Lakers could probably get some good draft compensation or complementary players in a trade of Russell.
