D’Angelo Russell is not on the Los Angeles Lakers’ list of players to trade.
Because, um, duh?
Well, maybe not “duh.”
According to Hoops Critic’s Brian Geltzeiler, Russell’s name has, in fact, come up in negotiations:
In taking to people around the league on who has been made available in trade talks a very surprising name has come up: DeAngelo Russell
— Brian Geltzeiler (@hoopscritic) January 28, 2016
Does this make you feel at all worried, D’Angelo?
Apparently not:
?
— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) January 28, 2016
And that’s in part because, according to Jake Fischer of SI.com, the Lakers aren’t actually shopping him:
Conferred w/ several league sources: Lakers have "definitely not" made DeAngelo Russell available, view he and Clarkson backcourt of future.
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) January 28, 2016
It’s unlikely the Lakers are actively looking to move the second-overall pick in last year’s draft. That wouldn’t make much sense with Kobe Bryant on his way out the door, and the team about to begin a semi-proper rebuild.
That, however, doesn’t mean other teams (the Sixers) aren’t calling the Lakers (the Sixers) and trying (the Sixers) to poach Russell (the Sixers) because they (the Sixers) are in need of a point guard (the Sixers) of the future (the Sixers).
As for whether the Lakers would ever listen to those calls or entertain any offers, it’s more likely they rebuff any overtures. D’Angelo Russell’s rookie season has been up and down, but it would take a monster package to part ways with a 19-year-old who has drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry and Manu Ginobili.
