EL SEGUNDO, Calif. » The Los Angeles Lakers chose Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell with the second pick in the NBA draft on Thursday, bypassing big man Jahlil Okafor to grab the ball-handling guard with the potential for greatness.

Russell averaged 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists in his only season with the Buckeyes. Los Angeles chose the dynamic guard over Okafor, the Duke big man considered the draft’s other elite prospect at his position behind top pick Karl-Anthony Towns.

"We felt (Russell), at No. 2, was a player we couldn’t pass up," general manager Mitch Kupchak said at the Lakers’ training complex.

Indeed, the 19-year-old Russell was widely thought to have the greatest star potential in this draft, given his exciting style and rapid growth. Russell’s standout 3-point shooting and playmaking persuaded the Lakers to gamble on the guard instead of playing it somewhat safer with a big man.

Kupchak disagreed with the notion that his selection of Russell is a symptom of the NBA’s evolution into a guard-dominated league, as exemplified by Golden State’s championship run behind Stephen Curry and no standout big man. The Lakers’ history is built on championships won by dominant centers including George Mikan, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal.

"You still need quality big men in this league, and if any of those players on the wall were available, we would have selected them," Kupchak said, indicating the row of retired jerseys hanging above the Lakers’ practice court. "But they weren’t, so our choices were what they were, and we’re very happy to have D’Angelo be a Laker."

The Lakers had their highest draft choice since 1982 after going 21-61 during the 16-time champion franchise’s worst season. They’ve made just five previous top-two selections in their history, and four turned out to be Hall of Famers: Jerry West, Elgin Baylor, Magic Johnson and James Worthy.

Los Angeles also picks 27th and 34th, providing a chance to restock one of the NBA’s worst rosters while preparing for life after Kobe Bryant, who will be 37 years old when he returns this fall for his 20th NBA season.

The Lakers’ most important draft in decades still is surrounded by the usual drama that habitually envelops the Lakers, who have been linked to a possible trade for All-Star Sacramento center DeMarcus Cousins.

Los Angeles also hopes to be active in free agency next week, perhaps attempting to lure LaMarcus Aldridge, Kevin Love, Marc Gasol or another big man to play alongside forward Julius Randle, the seventh overall pick last summer who broke his leg in the season opener.

"That wasn’t a factor in our choosing (Russell)," Kupchak said of the fertile free-agent market for big men. "Turns out that there are a lot of big men that may be available during free agency, and if you look at the guys in the backcourt, there may not be as many. But that wasn’t a factor."