The Los Angeles Lakers made a big mistake by trading point guard D’Angelo Russell before the 2017 NBA Draft. The former number two overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, had his ups and downs during his two seasons as a Laker, but he should have been their point guard of the future. In his two seasons with the Lakers, Russell averaged 14.3 points per game while adding 3.5 RPG and 4.0 APG which aren’t terrible numbers for a kid who was still in his teens, and early 20’s. Russell had some off the court troubles with some of his teammates, but his play on the court should have been the future of the lakers at the point guard position.
Instead of keeping Russell, they decided to traded him to Brooklyn for Brook Lopez and a first round pick which turned out to be used to take Kyle Kuzma. The main reason for that trade was due to the hype that was built all around Lonzo Ball going into the 2017 NBA Draft. The Lakers decided that Ball was the better bet for their future at point guard, and so far it has not looked that way. In Lonzo’s NBA career he is averaging 10.0 PPG to go along with 6.2 RPG and 6.3 APG. Lonzo is a good playmaker, but his shooting has been horrible as he shoots 32 percent from beyond the arc and 43.7 percent from the free throw line. Lonzo Ball would be a solid point guard, and facilitator if this team did not have LeBron James on it.
Now let us take a look back at that night of the 2017 NBA Draft, yes I understand that Kyle Kuzma was used with the draft selection that they got from the Brooklyn Nets, but nobody knew how good Kuzma was going to be at the next level. The Lakers had the first round pick from Houston in the Lou Williams trade which leads me to believe that they still could have gotten Kyle Kuzma a pick later than what they originally had draft him at. Now looking back at that night here are three different options that the Los Angeles Lakers could have done rather than drafting Lonzo Ball with the second overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
#1 – Traded Down In The Draft:
Yes, the Los Angeles Lakers did not need to use their second overall pick, and could have decided to trade down to get more assets. Los Angeles could have traded down a few spots and to take either De’Aaron Fox or Lauri Markkanen with their selection while acquiring more draft picks in the process. They still would have a chance at Kyle Kuzma, and the Lakers could have contended for better draft positioning in the 2018 NBA Draft as well. They could of had either, De’Aaron Fox, D’Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Ivica Zubca, or D’Angelo Russell, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, and Lauri Markkanen, as one of your starting five combinations for the 2017-2018 season.
This still could have led LeBron James to sign with the Lakers in the 2018 off season, and today they could have a starting lineup of either De’Aaron Fox/D’Angelo Russell, D’Angelo Russell/Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Brandon Ingram/Kyle Kuzma, and Javale McGee/Lauri Markannen. The keeping Russell idea poises the Lakers not only as title contenders this season, but they could be the start of getting the Lakers back onto the map and have them be even more competitive.
#2 – D’Angelo Russell Would Fit Better With LeBron James than Lonzo Ball
Russell isn’t as great as a faciliator as Lonzo is, but with LeBron being the main faciliator on this Lakers’ team it would be beneficial for him if he had a guard like Russell who shoots a whole lot better from the field than Ball does. LeBron strives when he has shooters around him, and Russell being the better shooter than Ball makes me believe that D’Angelo Russell would be a better fit for this LeBron led Lakers team than Lonzo Ball would be.
#3 – D’Angelo Russell Has More Trade Value Than Lonzo Ball
This is the worst thing about the Lakers trading away Russell before the 2017 NBA Draft, because right now if the Los Angeles Lakers wanted to be able to trade for Anthony Davis it would cost them Russell, Ingram and draft picks, which is way more valuable than any sort of potential deal that has Lonzo Ball in it. Russell is a talented player and could very well be an Eastern Conference all-star this season, and his stock would have gone way up if he had the chance to play with the greatest player in the game today LeBron James.
The Lakers could use Russell’s value to be able to get them another star, and would have a lot more money to be able to get a potential stud in not only free agency, but via trade to help them contend this season.
At the end of this all the Lakers made a big mistake by believing the hype surrounding Lonzo Ball going into the 2017 NBA Draft, and trading D’Angelo Russell who could have been very beneficial to this Lakers team in 2019.
Chris Jones (@cjoneswho1212 on twitter)
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