LA Lakers Rumors: Team Giving Up D' Angelo Russell This Season
Latest rumors making rounds online suggest that D'Angelo Russell might be given up through a trade with Utah Jazz and acquire Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors. The other reason given is to free up some cap space as the Lakers exercise their second overall top pick and choose either Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons.
Following their record worst performance in franchise history, the LA Lakers are expected to make a huge revamp as the team enters the offseason in a bid to make a decent comeback to a serious title run.
As per Inquistr report, trading Russell for Jazz's Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors may be enhance Lakers' bid for a return to the playoffs along with prospective drafting of either Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons with second top pick.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak believes that the team will already have a winning pick in either Duke's Ingram (with his proven shooting skills) or LSU's Simmons (with his sheer athleticism as point forward) according to Bleacher Report. What the team also needs is a presence of players who can provide Lakers with a boost to its weak defense- something that small forward Hayward and power forward Favors can offer to the Roster.
As reported by Chatt Sports Net, Favors appeared in 62 Jazz games in the regular season with an average of 16.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, 51.5% shooting from the field, and 32 minutes of playing time per game. Hayward, on the other hand, participated in 80 games last season with an average of 19.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, 43.3% shooting from the field, and 36.2 minutes of playing time per game.
Russell was drafted into Lakers active roster as the team's first round pick in last year's NBA draft. He played 80 games in the regular season and posted an average record of 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists, 41.0% shooting from the field, and 28.2 minutes of playing time per game.
