D'Angelo Russell trade, Julius Randle, Paul George trade
Mar 28, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (right) handles the ball defended by Washington Wizards guard John Wall (left) during the first quarter at Staples Center. USA TODAY Sports / Kelvin Kuo

The Los Angeles Lakers would reportedly offer a package of D'Angelo Russell, Julius Randle and Luol Deng to pull off a Paul George trade ahead of next season, according to a new report. The new Lakers front office, led by Magic Johnson, is hoping to add a superstar to the roster ahead of next year's All-Star game in Los Angeles.

NBA insider Sam Smith reported Thursday that though Lakers have the option of signing Paul George during next year's free agency period, Johnson "isn't that patient" and wants to land a big fish ahead of the 2017-18 season.

Russell and Randle 'easy to get' per report

"The talk among general managers is you can pretty easily get D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle. Then simple. The Lakers also would love to dump one of those big contracts (Luol Deng and Timofey Mozgov) that resulted in a management change. You give the Pacers Luol Deng to match salary with George and then throw in two former lottery picks, one from the Big 10 and the other from nearby Kentucky, and the Pacers can sell that as a rebuild," Smith wrote in his mailbag on NBA.com.

After the Lakers landed the No. 2 overall pick in Tuesday's NBA Draft Lottery, Russell, according to several reports, became expendable since the Purple & Gold is expected to select point guard Lonzo Ball at next month's NBA Draft. Though many expect Lakers coach Luke Walton to experiment with a backcourt duo of Ball and Russell, there's growing speculation that Johnson would be willing to move Russell for a player of George's stature. According to Sports Illustrated, teams have already started calling the Lakers about a potential D'Angelo Russell trade.

The report adds that Larry Bird stepped down as president of the Pacers due to the ownership's instance to hit the reset button and building around younger players. Several other reports claim that the Lakers are unwilling to part with Brandon Ingram and the No. 2 overall pick (likely to be Lonzo Ball).

Is a Paul George trade to Lakers inevitable?

Prior to February's NBA Trade Deadline, new Lakers president Magic Johnson reportedly called Pacers counterpart Larry Bird to discuss the possibility of a Paul George trade. Since the Pacers were still in contention for the playoffs, Bird felt the need to give George & Co. another postseason run. George’s trade value would likely plummet if the Pacers delay the inevitable. Teams would be hesitant to part with assets for a player approaching free agency next summer.

Earlier this week, the 26-year-old George failed to qualify for an All-NBA team. Therefore, the Pacers can no longer offer him a max contract with the "Designated Veteran Exception." The Pacers would still be able to out-bid free agent suitors by approximately US$30 million (AU$40 million) next year. Paul George averaged 23.7 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his seventh season for the Indiana Pacers. The two-way wing was drafted 10th overall by the Pacers in 2010. George led the Pacers to two Eastern Conference finals appearances besides making three All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams. Stay tuned for the latest Lakers Trade News.