The Los Angeles Lakers currently have the second-worst record in the NBA. Many fans are hoping to land the top pick in the draft where most see the top prospect as forward Ben Simmons, a former high school teammate of current rookie D’Angelo Russell.
The fact that Russell and Simmons lead Monteverde Academy to a high school national championship has many dreaming of them doing the same for the Lakers in the future.
Simmons and Russell remain close friends and in an interview with Bleacher Report’s Kevin Ding, Russell revealed that he and Simmons talk about playing together with the Lakers, among other things:
“We’re real close friends,” Russell said of Simmons. “[When we talk] it’s obvious: ‘Oh, man, I hope you come here.’ It’s obvious. But we talk about a lot of other things.”
If the Lakers are able to land Simmons and add him to the existing core of Russell, Randle, and Clarkson the future of the franchise would be as bright as anyone’s in the league. Simmons is an extremely talented forward who can score, rebound, and pass the ball.
Simmons’ college career is already over as LSU failed to make the NCAA Tournament and some have used that to question whether Simmons is really a franchise changing player. In fact, Duke’s Brandon Ingram has actually moved ahead of Simmons in some recent prospect rankings.
The Lakers winding up with either of those players would be great for the team, but Russell is obviously hoping for his friend to join him in Los Angeles and he definitely isn’t alone in that regard.