In a week chocked full of rumors and innuendo leading up to the NBA Draft on Thursday night, the Los Angeles Lakers were at the center of it all as they worked to position themselves to make a play for Paul George. They made one of the biggest splashes of the offseason so far when they announced on Tuesday that they were trading D’Angelo Russell (and Timofey Mozgov) to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Brook Lopez.
It was a move that cleared the way for Lonzo Ball, who they selected with the second overall pick, and freed up some sorely-needed cap space to sign George and ostensibly try and lure LeBron James, who will be a free agent next summer. It was the first major transaction for new team president Magic Johnson, and on Friday, the Lakers legend offered his rationale for the move.
Magic Johnson on D’Angelo Russell: "We want to thank him for what he did for us. But what I needed was a leader.” Full quote: pic.twitter.com/3FhPthOpN1
— Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) June 23, 2017
Johnson, whose earnestness and, at times, painfully-obviously observations have often made him the subject of social media ridicule, couldn’t help but take a few parting shots at Russell. The talented young guard faced relentless scrutiny about his maturity or lackthereof during his brief tenure in Los Angeles, and Johnson laid bare that those concerns were apparently a major impetus for his departure.
The Lakers are now free to focus on transforming a roster full of young talent into a viable contender in the West, while Russell has been given a fresh start on what is still very much a promising NBA career.
