The Los Angeles Lakers prefer to use D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade deal this summer, according to NBA insider Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
However, Buha doesn’t see much of a market for Russell, who struggled mightily in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets. The All-Star averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3% from the field and 13.3% from beyond the arc.
“My read on the situation is that the Lakers would prefer to use D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade, but I’m not sure the market is there,” Buha wrote.
“Landing Kyrie Irving for Russell is shaping up to be a pipe dream, especially with Dallas unlikely to help Los Angeles out,” Buha explained. “Fred VanVleet, a Klutch client, looms as a possibility, but adding him would require Toronto to agree to terms with Russell (or take on the Beasley and Bamba contracts). Where, exactly, is the free-agency and trade market for Russell? I just don’t see it.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Russell becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. His poor play in the conference finals has lowered his stock around the NBA.
“The Denver series was a significant blow to his reputation, which was already relatively low in comparison to his 2022-23 salary (over $31 million) and his pedigree (former No. 2 overall pick and an All-Star). Russell is still a useful player and, at worst, a sixth-man type,” Buha wrote. “But paying him anything more than $18-to-$20 million annually seems unreasonable, based on his clear limitations that were present throughout the Lakers’ playoff run.”
The Lakers acquired Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the February trade deadline and the Ohio State product played well in his 17 games with Los Angeles, averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 41.4% from 3.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
D’Lo also put up good numbers in the first two rounds of the playoffs versus the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. The Louisville native averaged 15.7 points and 5.0 assists and scored 31 points in Game 6 against the Grizzlies.
However, Russell was so bad against the Nuggets that many people around the NBA believe the Lakers shouldn’t re-sign him.
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