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Lakers Exercise Team Options on Nance Jr., Randle, and Russell

EL SEGUNDO – The Los Angeles Lakers have exercised their team options for the 2017-18 season on forwards Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle, and guard D’Angelo Russell, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

Nance Jr., selected with the 27th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, appeared in 63 games (22 starts) in his rookie season, tallying three double-doubles. He finished third among all rookies in field goal percentage (52.7%) and 10th in rebounds per game (5.0). On January 14 at Golden State, Nance Jr. recorded a career-high six steals, becoming the first Laker rookie since Eddie Jones to have at least six takeaways in a game.

Randle, the seventh overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft, was one of only nine players in the NBA last season to average a double-double, and did so in the fewest minutes per game of anyone in that group (11.3 points and 10.2 rebounds in 28.2 minutes per game). He appeared in 81 games (60 starts) in 2015-16, registering 34 double-doubles and one triple-double, finishing the season ranked sixth in the NBA in total rebounds. Randle was chosen by USA Basketball to compete with the USA Men’s Select Team that trained with the Men’s National Team in Las Vegas this summer in preparation for the Olympics.

The second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Russell garnered All-Rookie Second Team honors after finishing last season ranked fourth among rookies in assists (3.3) and steals (1.16) per game and fifth in points (13.2) and three-point field goal percentage (35.1%). He was one of 10 American rookie and sophomore players selected to participate in the Rising Stars Challenge at NBA All-Star 2016, and became the youngest player in NBA history to make 120+ three-pointers in a season. Russell was chosen by USA Basketball to compete with the USA Men’s Select Team that trained with the Men’s National Team in Las Vegas this summer in preparation for the Olympics.