The Los Angeles Lakers, D’Angelo Russell, and Jahlil Okafor will probably always be linked. Russell and Okafor were the two players most highly debated among fans, the media and reportedly the front office when the Lakers had the second overall selection in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Los Angeles ultimately decided on Russell with that pick, but it hasn’t stopped a significant portion of the fanbase from lusting over Okafor ever since, and doubly so every time Russell has a bad game.
Perhaps it’s this connection that’s why when Marc Stein of ESPN reported that the Sixers sat Okafor because they have “ramped up” trade discussions involving their young center a significant portion of social media wondered whether or not the Lakers were involved in the pursuit of Okafor (even though Stein reported the New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers and Chicago Bulls were the teams most interested in the young center).