One NBA writer is proposing that the Milwaukee Bucks acquire D’Angelo Russell from the Los Angeles Lakers in a bold trade. Lee Tran of Fadeaway World proposed the following trade idea between the Bucks and Lakers:
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Bobby Portis, Grayson Allen
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, 2024 Second-Round Pick (LAC), 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAC), 2025 Second-Round Pick (LAL)
“The Bucks are a team that could potentially use Russell and are one of the few teams that can potentially withstand his poor defense,” Tran wrote in his latest NBA trade column. “He would give the team consistent shooting and scoring, and his playmaking ability could potentially get Giannis Antetokounmpo more easy buckets. The team also needs injury insurance, as Khris Middleton has shown to be injury-prone in recent years.
“Russell could clearly be a valuable regular-season player for the team, and he is definitely an upgrade over Allen on the offensive end. This past season, Russell averaged 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists.”
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
The Lakers acquired Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the 2023 February trade deadline. 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.
Russell put up strong numbers in the first two rounds of the 2023 playoffs versus the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. He averaged 15.7 points and 5.0 assists and scored an impressive 31 points in Game 6 against the Grizzlies.
However, Russell was so poor against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals that many people around the NBA thought the Lakers shouldn’t have re-signed him. The lefty averaged 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3% from the floor 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 this summer in free agency. Russell’s new two-year contract with the Lakers is guaranteed for $36 million. The one-time NBA All-Star 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.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: D’Angelo Russell, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Since Russell waived his no-trade clause, some NBA insiders believe the Lakers will look to trade the veteran if he struggles next season. It will be interesting to see if the Bucks and Lakers talk about a Russell trade.
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