The front office for the Los Angeles Lakers is preparing for one of the most pivotal offseasons in its long history. With free agency not starting until July 1, general manager Mitch Kupchak has his focus on the NBA Draft and the looming NBA Draft Lottery set to take place Tuesday night.
That night will determine if the Lakers will be in a position to add another top prospect to their young foundation. That foundation will certainly be a major selling point in free agency as Kupchak and vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss hope their young core can help lure marquee free agents to Los Angeles this summer.
It will be a tough sell with such a young group that still has work to do to establish themselves in the NBA, but according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, two members of their promising core will get a chance to compete with some of the game’s best players.
Sources: Lakers' D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle invited to play for USA Select Team this summer. They'll compete against Olympic team.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 13, 2016
This will be a tremendous opportunity for Russell and Randle to play against and show what they can do against the NBA’s top talent. It will also be a chance for them to learn from the supremely talented players they will play against.
Both players definitely had their ups and downs this season with the Lakers, but the flashes of brilliance they showed generated plenty of excitement amongst Lakers fans. The recognition for Russell and Randle is fantastic, but this will be an experience that they will surely want to take full advantage of and apply moving forward.
