The Los Angeles Lakers think that the kids are alright.
According to a report by Sean Deveney of Sporting News on Wednesday, the Lakers, who had trade talks with Atlanta for Paul Millsap and expressed interest in Philadelphia’s Nerlens Noel, have not included their three core young players in any trade offers and do not figure to change that.
The three players in question are 22-year-old Julius Randle, 20-year-old D’Angelo Russell, and 19-year-old Brandon Ingram, the team’s lottery picks in each of the last three years. Deveney also adds that the Lakers are unlikely to consider moving their other young complements, 24-year-olds Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr.
The Lakers are just 15-27 on the season, but their core is already beginning to show positive signs of development under new head coach Luke Walton. And though they are still largely unrefined, it also helps that their young guys complement each other nicely with an all-around blend of length, athleticism, playmaking, shooting, rebounding, defense, intangibles, and virtually any other hardwood skill that you can think of.
Simply put, the Lakers have a chance to recreate the Golden State Warriors’ model of success: letting a nucleus of homegrown talent develop chemistry together from a young age with the end goal of them eventually maturing into a basketball juggernaut. It sounds like the Lakers have the right personnel for the task, so it makes sense that they don’t just want to hastily throw away the opportunity in front of them to build something great.
