The final days leading up to the NBA Draft are generally filled with rumors, especially when the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have a chance to land one of the top prospects.
Ever since the Lakers landed the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, rumors surfaced around the team possibly trading last year’s second overall selection, D’Angelo Russell.
Russell was in attendance this afternoon when the team officially announced and introduced Luke Walton as the 26th head coach in franchise history. While Walton spent the day assuring the fan base that they can once again have faith in the man at the helm, general manager Mitch Kupchak was reassuring his point guard that he isn’t going anywhere, according to Lakers Nation’s Serena Winters.
Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak reassures D’Angelo Russell not to worry about trade talks: pic.twitter.com/LdXpBjuYew
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) June 22, 2016
While it is evident that most of the people that have started rumors of a trade centered around Russell didn’t watch him play much last season, many Lakers fans understand the flashes of brilliance he displayed last season (playing for Byron Scott, no less) and the upside he possesses.
The future looks bright for the Lakers, thanks in large part to having Russell on the roster. Even with all the drama last season, Kupchak, Walton and the fan base strongly support him, and that’s all that matters.
