“Fear not, prospective free agents! I assure you that you will not have to worry about D’Angelo Russell’s cell phone!” At least that’s the message that Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak is trying to convey.
According to Baxter Holmes of ESPN, Kupchak does not believe that Russell’s recent scandal, in which he secretly filmed teammate Nick Young admitting to being unfaithful to fiancée Iggy Azalea, will hurt the Lakers in free agency this coming offseason.
“Every day that goes by, it becomes less and less of a story,” Kupchak said. “Both players did the right thing in terms of addressing and, when necessary, making amends or making an apology acknowledging a mistake.
“We’ve dealt with players in this organization, on this team, that have made mistakes over the years, and we’ve gotten through it and had great teams and won championships.”
Kupchak might be in the minority though as Russell’s transgression was deemed serious enough in the Lakers locker room that Russell was reportedly isolated by his own teammates. Things almost escalated to the point of a physical confrontation between Young and Russell, and, at the very least, it looks like the two will not be able to co-exist on the same team any longer. Russell was also swiftly condemned in the arena of public opinion, with athletes across all sports going out of their way to rebuke him.
With this being perhaps the most important offseason for the Lakers in years as they look to construct a new identity now that they’re officially in their post-Kobe Bryant period, it would be nice if they didn’t have to worry about Russell’s newfound reputation as a snitching “bro code” violator. Perhaps these prospective free agents will understand that Russell is still young and immature, just like they were as 19- and 20-year-olds. But it’s wishful thinking to hope that Russell’s history won’t at least give them some second thoughts, particularly if the Lakers aren’t the only team they’re looking at this summer.
Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
H/T theScore
