Los Angeles Lakers fans who don’t want the team to trade its talented young players will be happy to hear what team president Magic Johnson said about Brandon Ingram on Thursday.
Johnson told ESPN Los Angeles during a radio appearance that “Brandon (Ingram) is a guy we probably won’t think about moving, ever.”
Ingram was drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft after spending one season at Duke.
He averaged 9.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game this past season, while playing 28.8 minutes per contest (most among rookies). Ingram didn’t have the immediate impact some fans might have hoped, but he did show flashes of star potential.
The Kings reportedly wanted Ingram as part of a trade package for center DeMarcus Cousins before the trade deadline, but L.A. was unwilling to part with the rookie. Cousins was shipped to the New Orleans Pelicans.
The Lakers don’t have a superstar to build around, and trading Ingram could be a way to acquire that type of player. But Ingram could become that kind of building block at some point, and the Lakers could look to add pieces around the former Duke forward via free agency instead of giving up assets in the trade market.
Thumbnail photo via Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports Images
