The Los Angeles Lakers drafted D'Angelo Russell to become their franchise point guard. They selected him with the No. 2 overall pick with the expectations that he would be an immediate success. That did not happen right off the bat, but now Russell is settling into his role as a potential leader, and leaving Jordan Clarkson's future uncertain.
Clarkson is in his second year in the NBA and proving to be very valuable to the Lakers. The point guard is averaging 15.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game while shooting 45 percent overall. However, he is going to be a restricted free agent this summer and the Lakers will need to make a decision on whether or not he is going to be worth the money.
Clarkson is going to be a hot commodity come free agency. He will have the ability to command a large offer and teams will pay it. Los Angeles has the right to match any offer placed on the point guard, but will it get outbid? The New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Dallas Mavericks are just a few teams that will be interested in getting Clarkson. If the Lakers are invested in Russell, why over-spend on Clarkson?
Head coach Byron Scott has a lot of faith in Russell. While the rookie's career got off to a rocky start, he has improved since being named a full-time starter and is beginning to develop as a leader. If that continues, Clarkson should be out of the picture.
"Like I've said, each month he seems to get better and better and I think a lot of that is because of repetition, gaining some experience and then obviously a lot is his confidence in himself. When all of a sudden you start playing a little bit better, you start feeling better about yourself. Like I said, I like where he is right now," Scott said.
The biggest hurdle for Clarkson to clear in order to return to the Lakers might not involve Russell, but the team's intention of chasing a high-profile free agent. They're gearing up to sell Kevin Durant on coming to Los Angeles, and are also looking to make moves for DeMar DeRozan and Al Horford.
If the Lakers get their wish of signing a big name, the money might not be there for Clarkson. Los Angeles will have the cap space to bring the point guard back, but could opt to invest that money elsewhere if Russell looks the part. The Lakers will have to trust the point guard can keep improving.