76ers wanted to draft D'Angelo Russell, Lakers foiled their plans

The Los Angeles Lakers' lottery luck bumped them up to the second-overall pick, and with that they threw a wrench in the Philadelphia 76ers' plans. The Sixers were "hoping" D'Angelo Russell would fall to them at No. 3, but ultimately they had to "settle" for Jahlil Okafor, NBA.com's David Aldridge revealed in his offseason rankings.

Philadelphia was said to be engaging the Lakers on ways to move up in the draft so they could land Russell, but the purple and gold stuck to their plan and drafted the dynamic point guard out of Ohio State. The 76ers traded Michael Carter-Williams last season, making D'Angelo a clear fit from a roster-need standpoint. Joel Embiid's foot injury, however, makes Okafor less redundant than it initially seemed.

Russell and the Lakers' roster moves placed 16th in Aldridge's offseason rankings, sandwiched between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat. These rankings are based on how much the team has improved through the draft, free agency and trades since they last played, not how they will perform next season.

Aldridge's full rankings are peppered with notes and information, as usual, so be sure to check it out for some hearty offseason material.