D'Angelo Russell (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The LA Lakers have not been around NBA trade rumors as they have a conviction on keeping their young core, but that could change.
It is good advice to "never say never" as there are changes afoot in the Lakers front office. Lakers legend Magic Johnson has now joined the team's front office as an adviser and it carries many implications for the storied franchise as SB Nation illustrated.
The presence of Johnson can have positive implications for the franchise but the point of hiring him could be to steer the Lakers in an entirely new direction.
"The risk is that Jeanie wants to push the current front office aside because she thinks their blueprint is beneath the Lakers. The risk is that Jeanie, Magic, and a GM to be named later will cast aside the young prospects on the roster in favor of higher-profile veterans. The risk is that Jeanie believes the Lakers are too special to ever lose. The risk is that Jeanie and Magic believe in a Laker exceptionalism that has been proven a lie," Tom Ziller of SB Nation stated.
Ziller thinks that Magic and Jeanie Buss may not have the same patience as Jim Buss or GM Mitch Kupchak (who might even be replaced) because they did not choose these players nor have watched them grow. Magic believes in star power and he never went through a rebuilding phase with this team.
Thus, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders responded to a Twitter question that the Lakers are "open to trade" but anything involving the young pieces would be "pricey."
The tone just a month ago was that the young core was untouchable, so this is somewhat of a change. If there would be legitimate stars on the trade market, than the Lakers could be willing to bargain with their top chips.
The Chicago Bulls has a situation with Jimmy Butler and it could eventually come to a head, if not before the trade deadline, then after the season. In a situation where the Lakers get a top three pick (which is a prerequisite for them to keep it), they have the chance to get a top guard (Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball).
In that case, the Bulls could trade Butler for D'Angelo Russell and Brandon Ingram, two players with tons of upside. Trading Butler puts them in rebuilding mode and Russell and Ingram could be two pieces to build around and they could also fit with Fred Hoiberg's offense.
