D'Angelo Russell is predicted to be the first point guard taken off the board come Thursday night in the NBA Draft. The question is exactly what number that happens as there will be a run on big men first and foremost. According to ESPN"s Chad Ford, the Philadelphia 76ers will make the move for Russell, but a recent injury to Joel Embiid could change those plans. As several veteran point guards also become available in trades along with top players as options in free agency, will Russell be taken as high as originally assumed?
Everyone from the Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers have been linked to Russell. Coming out of Ohio State, he is projected as NBA ready with the ability to start immediately for any team Russell has spoken very highly of his ability to adjust to the triangle offense of the New York Knicks while saying that he would also like to play for the Lakers.
"If I were to go to the Lakers, I wouldn't want anybody to hand me anything," Russell said, via Yahoo Sports. "I wouldn't expect Kobe to take me under his wing. I think he will want to see a resemblance of that hunger and fire that he came into the league with as a young kid. No one needs to be nicest guy in the world, or needs to pretend to be that. He will see through that, pick all that apart. I've got to be me."
The same teams that are eyeing Russell with a high draft picks are the same ones with enough money to sign either Rajon Rondo or Goran Dragic to a top-dollar deal while also being linked to deals for Ty Lawson and Eric Bledsoe. The question is whether or not they favor a rookie for the starting point guard job over a veteran and what are they willing to give up to take care of the position.
According to Knicks' team president Phil Jackson via the New York Post, the team is "set" at the point guard position. That does not mean they will not draft a player for the role, but it would rule out them using their No.4 pick for the spot. The Knicks have been linked to a trade for Eric Bledsoe according to Ford while also being a potential landing spot for Lawson.
The Lakers are another team that could be a landing spot for a point guard. At the moment, ESPN's Marc Stein is reporting the Lakers are prepared to send the No.2 pick plus Julius Randle and starting point guard Jordan Clarkson to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins. That would rule them out to get Russell.
At this point with Thursday just around the corner, all signs point to Russell heading to Philadelphia and filling the spot originally held by Michael Carter-Williams. However, anything is possible with the draft a trade deals.
