Lakers Rumors: D’Angelo Russell Trade, Byron Scott Fired By L.A. Lakers During NBA Offseason?
Lakers rumors about D’Angelo Russell and Byron Scott aren’t going away. The L.A. Lakers rumors regarding Russell continue to stem from the rookie point guard secretly taping a video of teammate Nick Young. As previously reported by ESPN.com, that video became public, and in it Young was discussing being with other women while engaged to rapper Iggy Azalea. It has led to a lot of bad press for the Lakers and Russell, despite the fact that some fans are already willing to forgive him.
There are also fresh L.A. Lakers rumors being reported by CBS Sports, stating that the Lakers have been trying to trade Nick Young for two seasons now. All the “celebrity gossip” could have been avoided if the team had already dealt Young, but now it could be Russell that gets mentioned in many trade rumors. Several NBA analysts have discussed how the Lakers locker room may no longer trust Russell and that could be a huge problem moving forward. But should the franchise give up on Russell already?
There will likely be a lot of NBA trade rumors when the offseason begins, including discussions involving the L.A. Lakers and D’Angelo Russell. As the franchise tries to rebuild in the post-Kobe Bryant era, an eye will be on improving through trades and the 2016 NBA Draft. With the way this situation has played out, either Young or Russell will need to be on a different roster by the time the 2016-17 NBA season begins.
One of the problems with trying to trade Nick Young is that he is under contract through the 2017-18 NBA season. Young makes about $5.5 million next year and then has a player option for about $5.7 million the following season. The team could cut him, but NBA salaries are guaranteed. It could become a situation where the team would need to include a future draft pick to entice another team to take him on.
If his teammates are unwilling to get past what D’Angelo Russell has done, then the L.A. Lakers may be forced to trade him. As a young point guard with a lot of upside, it’s possible that Russell could yield a good trade package in return. It’s possible that the Lakers could even get an early first-round pick in exchange for the former Ohio State guard. That might help the team get even younger, but it would throw away any time spent on developing Russell.
The other big L.A. Lakers rumors involve coach Byron Scott and whether the front office wants to bring him back for another season. Many NBA analysts have stated that he is on the “hot seat” this year, even though nobody in the Lakers’ front office has confirmed that rumor. Scott hasn’t worked well with rookies as a head coach and there has been a lot of drama between him and Russell this season. If the franchise decides that the best move is to keep Russell on the roster, it could also be an indication that Scott won’t be back. The problem is that Scott has a guaranteed contract that would pay him even if he got fired.
The biggest component of any reports on the Lakers is how bad the team has been the past two seasons. The Lakers have already clinched the second-worst record in the NBA for the 2015-16 season and sit at 16-59 with just seven games left to play. The team stands a good chance of having a top three pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, though, so more talent could be on its way. But do all these L.A. Lakers rumors indicate that either Byron Scott or D’Angelo Russell won’t be in Los Angeles to welcome the newest rookie?
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