The Los Angeles Lakers drafted D'Angelo Russell No.2 overall to be the future of the point guard position. That left many wondering what would happen to Jordan Clarkson who showed a lot of success filling in for Steve Nash just one season ago. Russell's early struggles opened the door for Clarkson to prove he can still help lead the team and with an expiring contract to his name, the point guard is doing enough to stick around.
Trade rumors are swirling around the Lakers as many believe they will get active at the deadline. General manager Mitch Kupchak has told the media that he is already receiving a lot of calls regarding the price tag of certain players. However, do not expect Clarkson to be tossed into any deal. Even with Russell on the roster, the Los Angeles Times is reporting that Lakers like the idea of keeping Clarkson around.
"He's come a long way. There's no doubt about that. But we have a high expectation of Jordan. We still think he has a long way to go," Coach Byron Scott said, via the Los Angeles Times. "He's the type of kid to put in the work to get there. He has to be a little bit more aggressive, as far as getting to the basket. He has to be able hit the three-pointer, get to the basket. His mid-range game is pretty good."
Clarkson is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason and there will be teams that could offer him a nice contract. The Lakers hold early bird rights on Clarkson which give them the upper hand in the offseason. They can sign the point guard to a contract worth $26.7 million over four seasons. That is $6 million a season whereas other teams can only offer $5.6 million a season. According to the Los Angeles Times, the Lakers are likely to retain Clarkson even with Russell on the roster and will slide him over to shooting guard once Kobe Bryant is officially retired. Scott likes the idea of keeping the tandem of Clarkson and Russell together.
"But they both have a ways to go to be a great starting tandem, on both ends of the floor," Scott said.
According to ESPN.com, if the Lakers are going to make a marquee trade at the deadline, it could involve Julius Randle. The chances of this happening are slim to none, but as Los Angeles prepares to target DeMar DeRozan in free agency, they could try to make a run at him at the deadline. It would take a solid, high-valued player to get DeRozan in a trade and many believe that is Randle. Lakers fans would be wise to assume this deal does not happen. Instead, the Lakers will try to shop Brandon Bass, Nick Young or even Roy Hibbert at the deadline if there is interest.