The LA Lakers no longer have Kobe Bryant in their roster and the search for a new franchise player continues.
By all indications, D'Angelo Russell seems to be locked in to fill the role. He has been lighting up the pre-season.
According to SB Nation, Russell is now more mature and more vocal as the team's leader on the court. Even veteran Lou Williams who once shut him out after the Nick Young scandal has acknowledged this.
"He's more talkative and he understands the game more now," said Williams. "Last year, he was more quiet because he was still trying to learn. Now that he's had a season under his belt, he understands where he wants the basketball and how to run the offense."
Russell is a legitimate Most Improved Player candidate, according to SB Nation's Cameron Neimand. The coaching change from Byron Scott to Luke Walton definitely helped a lot, not just Russell but another Laker, Jordan Clarkson.
It should be noted that Clarkson also went to great lengths to improve his offensive game, specifically his three-point shot. Thus, the Lakers could boast of a young killer combo backcourt.
However, in this set-up, much of the scoring is concentrated around the perimeter. This should be no surprise for a Luke Walton team, but there could be a looming trade in the horizon that could balance the offense for the Lakers.
According to ESPN Insider, DeMarcus Cousins is likely to be traded in the coming season. Tom Haberstroh pointed out that "the Kings have recently loaded up on young big men, which could be a sign that they're increasingly ready to move on."
In contrast, the Lakers also acquired Jose Calderon and Marcelo Huertas which seemed unnecessary if you have Russell and Clarkson, both of which could play the point.
The nagging suspicion is that the Lakers are "showcasing" Russell in the hopes of increasing his trade value. A one-to-one trade with Russell for Cousins may be a long shot, but the Lakers could minimize what they add. Russell and Larry Nance, Jr for instance instead of Russell and Brandon Ingram.
These are still highly speculative and the Lakers may very well be building themselves as a perimeter team anchored on Russell. Yet, the possibility looms as Clarkson is very much able to lead the team himself.