NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers offering D’Angelo Russell to teams in exchange for top-12 pick

The Los Angeles Lakers are reportedly trying to get another lottery pick, and we now know what they might be offering in exchange.

According to Chad Ford of ESPN, it “sounds like” the Lakers “are dangling D’Angelo Russell in effort to get another top-12 pick” in the 2017 NBA Draft. Ford adds that Duke guard Luke Kennard and Gonzaga big man Zach Collins “appear to be” the Lakers’ targets.

The Lakers moving Russell — a former No. 2 pick — in exchange for a pick in the top-12 would be an acknowledgement they feel that pick was a failure and are looking to recoup some value, and would be a surprising flip for the franchise just two years after taking him.

Adding smoke to this fire was the leak earlier Monday in which anonymous sources told Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report that the Lakers were less than impressed with Russell’s level of professionalism.

Still, giving up on a guard with as much talent as Russell so quickly would certainly be surprising, and draft time is filled with rumors upon rumors. This one may come true, it may be a rival team attempting to drive Russell’s value on the trade market down by saying the Lakers are asking for so little.

Stay tuned to Silver Screen and Roll for updates.

Harrison Faigen is co-host of the Locked on Lakers podcast (subscribe here), and you can follow him on Twitter at @hmfaigen.