One NBA writer believes the Los Angeles Lakers could trade D’Angelo Russell despite signing the guard to a new contract this summer. Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report recently explained why Russell could be moved by the Lakers during the 2023-24 season.
“D’Angelo Russell is a solid outside shooter and pick-and-roll playmaker, but he may not be the championship-level defender the Los Angeles Lakers need to contend, and the contract he signed looks suspiciously like a trade chip,” Bailey wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “And that speculation was only fueled when Russell immediately waived the implied no-trade clause that came from the two-year contract he signed (players who re-sign for one year or one year and an option can veto trades during the upcoming season).
“At $17.3 million for 2023-24, Russell’s salary is very movable. And if aggregated with Rui Hachimura, it might be enough to get a star. If that star wasn’t a guard, L.A. could lean on Austin Reaves, Gabe Vincent and LeBron James to replace Russell’s playmaking. If that star was, oh say, Kyrie Irving, the Lakers wouldn’t have to worry about that player. Of course, the Dallas Mavericks would want some additional consideration in such a move, but it’s easy to imagine trades like that for L.A. thanks to the deal Russell signed.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers acquired Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the 2023 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. D’Lo also put up strong numbers in the first two rounds of the 2023 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 Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals that many people around the NBA believed the Lakers shouldn’t have re-signed him. The lefty averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3% from the field and 13.3% from beyond the arc as the Nuggets swept the Lakers.
Despite Russell’s struggles versus the Nuggets, though, the Lakers brought him back. For the first time in the LeBron James-Anthony Davis era, which started in 2019-20, Los Angeles prioritized continuity and chemistry over chasing flashier upgrades this offseason.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Russell’s new two-year contract with the Lakers is guaranteed for $36 million, according to NBA insider Keith Smith. Russell has $700,000 in incentives in each season of the deal. In addition, Russell waived his implied no-trade clause, so he can be traded anywhere.
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