With Magic Johnson now helping to run the Los Angeles Lakers front office, the franchise is looking to rebuild towards the future. They have a roster full of young talents, and the No. 2 NBA Draft pick later this month. It's expected the team will use that pick to bring in talented point guard Lonzo Ball from UCLA. With that in mind, it will make the roster heavy at that particular position and new NBA rumors are suggesting they could deal either Jordan Clarkson or D'Angelo Russell.
Lakers draft pick?
On June 22nd, the Los Angeles Lakers have an important decision to make when they choose second in the NBA Draft.
Most of the consensus is that they'll take UCLA's Lonzo Ball at that slot. However, a few analysts are suggesting in mock draft rumors that L.A. select Kentucky's De'Aaron Fox instead. Fox might bring fewer headaches, aka LaVar Ball, but it would be a surprise if the Lakers passed on Lonzo with such a high pick.
Either way, the plan appears to be that the L.A. Lakers will hold onto the second draft pick rather than trading it away. That means they'll be making another important move towards constructing their roster of the future. However, it will mean possibly clearing up a "logjam" at the guard spot on their roster.
Clarkson trade?
It was previously mentioned by Magic Johnson that only Brandon Ingram was "untouchable" when it came to potential deals the Lakers might make.
Now, new L.A. Lakers NBA rumors are suggesting the team is open to exploring a Jordan Clarkson trade to free up space. It's even being said that this move could happen as soon as draft night, so don't be surprised if there's major breaking news of a Lakers trade.
It's noted by various sources including ESPN that Clarkson signed a four-year contract with the Lakers in July of 2016 worth $37.5 million through the 2019-20 NBA season.
That would be worth $11.56 million for the upcoming 2017-18 season. The guard averaged nearly 15 points, 2.6 assists, and three boards per game, appearing in all 82 games of the past season.
The Los Angeles Lakers may even explore their options in terms of moving former No. 2 NBA draft pick, D'Angelo Russell. However, it's believed that Russell is a key piece of the team's future and could exist as more of a shooting guard on the floor with Lonzo Ball as the team's main distributor.
Lakers fans, do you think moving Jordan Clarkson is a good idea for the team, or should they deal Russell instead? Will L.A. try to bring in a major star or simply keep focusing on their young talents for the future?