This afternoon the Los Angeles Lakers traded away 21-year-old point guard D’Angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez and 27th pick in the draft. The move came as a surprise to many in Laker Land considering Lopez doesn’t fit their current system and team president Magic Johnson has praised Russell as a “future superstar” on Twitter several times.
Lakers are trading Tim Mozgov and D'Angelo Russell to Nets for Brook Lopez and 27th pick Thursday, sources say.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 20, 2017
I like D'Angelo Russell because he can shoot, he's explosive and he makes his teammates better.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 25, 2015
Laker Nation: Congrats to Mitch Kupchak, Jim and Jeannie Buss on drafting, who I think is a future superstar in D'Angelo Russell!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 25, 2015
Laker Nation: I'm looking forward to being a mentor to D'Angelo Russell on and off the court.
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) May 2, 2016
D'Angelo Russell and I had a good conversation before the @Lakers vs. Celtics game. I look forward to working with him! @Dloading
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 4, 2017
Laker nation, D’Angelo Russell wasn’t as good as Magic was letting on because he probably wouldn’t have traded him for often injured center Brook Lopez.
h/t Bleacher Report