Point guard D’Angelo Russell promised to bring on a heated performance for the Los Angeles Lakers in the new season. However, the 20-year-old player has continuously been rumored to be associated with a three-team exchange that will thrust Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love to the gold and purple team.
Another team that could be joining this potential trade is the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was previously reported that, besides Love, the Lakers could be welcoming 76ers forward Dario Šarić while the Cavaliers will be adding 76ers center Nerlens Noel and Lakers point guard Jose Calderon.
In addition, the 76ers are reportedly set to add Russell along with fellow Lakers player, point guard Nick Young.
As pointed out by news outlets, welcoming Love and Šarić will be a helpful move for the Lakers, who are currently reestablishing their team. Known for being a well-established player, Love has gained impressive momentum following his win with the Cavaliers at his first championship last season.
Before being added to Cleveland, the 28-year-old player gained fame for his high scores and rebounds for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
There have been comments saying that Love is not the most ideal player to form Cleveland’s “Big Three” with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
However, the Lakers may not also be the most suitable trade partners if they want to attain improvement from Love’s power forward position. The Cavaliers clearly aim for more rebounds and stronger defense; although the LA team offers its assets, these may not be what Cleveland is looking for.
Trading in Russell won’t be a necessity for the Cavaliers owing to the fact that the team already has Kyrie Irving, who clearly had a better play than Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry in the last NBA finals.
If the trade carries on, Šarić will step in for Russell as one of the Lakers' fresh, up-and-coming talents. The 22-year-old player will get to officially play in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the first time but fans are already looking forward to his debut. The Croatian power forward has been considered as one of the younger ones who will bring on a heavy impact to the game.
Meanwhile, despite making a smart move with the possible three-team trade, the Lakers could experience trouble at point guard. Having Russell and Calderon traded will only leave Marcelo Huertas and Julian Jacobs for the position.
The Lakers have clearly expressed their wanting to get back on track, but have been tagged as one of the worst teams playing in the NBA season for 2016-2017. While having Love in their team will contribute to more wins and could possibly put them at the top eight, it is not likely that they will be in a position as good as the San Antonio Spurs or the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference.
