Lakers News: Analyzing LaMarcus Aldridge Chase, D'Angelo Russell's Impact, More

The Los Angeles Lakers are slowly building a strong foundation of young players. The selection of D'Angelo Russell to join Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle gives the organization three legitimate building blocks for the future.

Yet the Lakers are still a team in transition. As long as team legend Kobe Bryant remains on the roster, there will be an urge to accelerate the retooling process. The storybook ending would be one more title with him on the squad followed by the team smoothly moving into a new era.

The front office is trying to move in that direction through the free-agent market, but it appears the Lake Show's top target, LaMarcus Aldridge, is slipping away. Let's check out the latest news on that situation along with some other notes about the team.

Aldridge Hopes Fading

The Lakers most pressing need coming into the offseason was a go-to post player. That's why taking Russell over Jahlil Okafor came as somewhat of a surprise. But the free-agent market was stronger on the interior, so it was understandable.

Like several other teams, Los Angeles set its sights on Aldridge. The longtime Portland Trail Blazers star averaged 23.4 points and 10.2 rebounds last season. He would fit perfectly into what the Lakers are trying to accomplish in both the short and long terms.

Alas, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports that even though the Lakers second meeting with the power forward went better than the first, they aren't optimistic:

"The Lakers weren't sharp in their initial Tuesday night meeting with Aldridge and tried to turn it around with a redo Thursday, centering on more basketball talk. They performed better in the follow-up but didn't have the feeling afterward he would eventually join them."

Missing out on Aldridge would be a significant setback, especially considering the market is beginning to thin out. Furthermore, questions will continue to get raised about the team's drawing power after failing to land the top names in recent years.

Russell Ready to Learn

Russell remains a raw talent with plenty of room to improve as he gains experience at the NBA level. That said, he showcased his game-changing potential during his only season at Ohio State, averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting better than 40.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Now he's eager to understand how to translate his talent into NBA success. Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com notes the incoming rookie has already talked to Bryant and let him know he's ready to soak up all the information the superstar is willing to provide.

"He was just talking about the things he's heard about me," Russell said. "And I just wanted to let him know that I was a sponge, and I really wanted to know if he was able to take me under his wing and be a mentor towards me and show me the ins and outs of this league to really be successful and stick around. That's the main thing that I got from our message."

The combo guard also said he's looking forward to teaming with Clarkson in the summer league. It's the first chance for them to start getting a feel for working in the same backcourt and likely splitting ball-handling duties.

Russell must be a major piece of the puzzle if the Lakers are going to turn things around in the near future. He sounds ready to take on the challenge and getting a chance to learn from Bryant will certainly help his cause.

Outlook for Front Office

Rebuilding is a necessary evil for teams across sports. It's difficult to keep a fanbase involved while going through a process that usually takes several years to complete. That said, bottoming out to acquire top talent through the draft is far better for the future than getting caught in the middle.

Still, fans usually get restless, particularly for a franchise with as much history of success as the Lakers. The question is how long the team is willing to wait for results before deciding whether to make changes. Now there's an answer.

Haley O'Shaughnessy of Sporting News passed along the outlook provided by team president Jeanie Buss during an appearance on KPCC radio. She said her brother, vice president of basketball operations Jim Buss, provided a timetable and will be expected to step down if it's not met.

"He told me that it would take three years to rebuild it," Buss said. "So we've just finished year one of that three-year [plan]. So we have two more years until he feels that we'll be back into going past the second round in the playoffs."

While the team is trending in the right direction, it will likely be difficult to reach that standard without acquiring at least one big-name free agent. Bryant's status beyond next season is also uncertain. So there are still plenty of questions to answer over the next few years.