EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka on Thursday explained the team's logic for pulling off its draft-week trade with the Brooklyn Nets, which included shipping out promising point guard D'Angelo Russell in what amounted to a salary dump. The trade was made official Thursday.
Russell, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, was dealt to Brooklyn along with center Timofey Mozgov, who is entering the second year of a four-year, $64 million contract, in exchange for Nets center Brook Lopez and the 27th pick in Thursday's draft.