The Los Angeles Lakers appear to think very highly of small forward Brandon Ingram. Magic Johnson recently made it clear that Ingram is the only untouchable player on the current roster and that stance hasn’t changed even with a flurry of trade talk involving the Lakers as of late.
According to Mark Medina of the OC Register, Ingram remains off the table in any trade discussions the Lakers have had with other teams:
The Lakers have also fielded numerous trade inquiries in recent weeks that include their No. 2 pick. The Lakers have listened to calls, but they have maintained that second-year forward Brandon Ingram is not available. The Lakers have liked Ingram’s steady growth in his defense, shooting and aggressiveness as he strives to gain more muscle. Meanwhile, the Lakers have heard from prospects they would like playing with Ingram.
Although Ingram got off to a slow start to his rookie campaign last year, the Duke product came into his own in the final months of the season and began to show potential as the next leader of the storied franchise.
Once Johnson took over as president of basketball operations and was able to get on the floor with Ingram to give him some tips how to finish strong at the rim, the rookie’s game reached another level entirely. Ingram became a real force to be reckoned with on the floor as he attacked the basketball and started to see his shot fall.
Apparently, the Lakers brass was impressed enough with Ingram’s progress to make him unavailable to teams that have come calling with trade proposals. However, D’Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson have been two players on the roster that have been mentioned in trade rumors a few times this summer and could end up wearing different uniforms next season.