Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson is utterly confident of his ability to be around teammate D'Angelo Russell and the incoming No. 2 pick of the NBA Draft, which most expect to be UCLA freshman point guard Lonzo Ball.

Clarkson has had a trade cloud hovering over him since president Magic Johnson and the Lakers netted the rights to the second overall selection in the draft, creating a likely logjam at the guard position.

Russell and Clarkson have been an entertaining backcourt at times, but are young and mistake-prone, failing to show much to the Los Angeles brawn — therefore making them prime trade candidates, if they indeed draft Ball with the No. 2 pick.

“I try to keep my nose down and keep grinding,” Clarkson told Mark Medina of the Orange County Register. “I keep working and having fun.”

Clarkson is of the mindset that stacking talent on a team can be nothing short of productive, given the Golden State Warriors‘ rapid growth into the juggernaut they've proved to be during the past three seasons.

“If we go anywhere in the draft, it’s going to be good for us,” Clarkson said. “It does a lot of good things for us. We’ll be young and grow together. It’s a lot of options for us. We score. But now we understand the game with where our spots are on the floor to score. I feel like it’s going to be great for us no matter who we draft.”

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves and Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray

Sonny Giuliano ·

lebron james nikola jokic

Michael Corvo ·

Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura with the Lakers arena in the background, Gabe Vincent Nuggets NBA Playoffs

David Yapkowitz ·

The 6-foot-5 guard went from a prominent starter role last season, to a reserve at both guard spots, further shelving him into the depth chart. If the Lakers select a point guard, as they're expected to do — they will move Russell to the shooting guard position, further blocking Clarkson's emergence into the starting lineup.

Russell and Clarkson have worked out together this summer, building on the late-season chemistry that saw the Lakers win five games in a row at the end of the season.

“It was great for us. We grew a lot together toward those last games,” Clarkson said. “We just needed the opportunity to grow in that area. I understand where everybody comes from, with the organization trying to win games. But toward the end of the year, you saw us working together. It was great.”

“I’m trying to get the best out of my opportunities.”