The Los Angeles Lakers are rebuilding around a young core of D'Angelo Russell, Brandon Ingram, Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle.

The path came into fruition after being near the top of the draft for several seasons and striking out in free agency.

"If you grow from within, you control your own destiny," Luke Walton said. "That's the game plan. We want to see what this group can do. We don't want to rely on anything else -- on free agency, or trades."

Walton was an assistant coach previously with the Warriors, who built their core through the draft before signing Kevin Durant in free agency.