Veteran Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell revealed his intention to opt into his final contract year before the NBA deadline.
The 28-year-old finished the second half of last season strong on his way to an 18.0 points per game average, and he showed his marksmanship from downtown down the stretch.
But he struggled in the 2022-23 playoffs for the Lakers and did not come out of the gates on fire last year.
This led to much trade speculation and a reportedly tense relationship with the now-departed head coach, Darvin Ham.
NBA insider Evan Sidery expects the Lakers to pursue a trade involving Russell aggressively and believes his expiring $18.7 million contract is a bonus for the team to complete a transaction.
The Lakers are expected to be aggressive in pursuing D’Angelo Russell-centric trades, per @jovanbuha (https://t.co/NvZjMI4gBR).
Russell’s $18.7 million expiring contract is now a valuable tool for Los Angeles to match salary in a potentially big transaction. pic.twitter.com/nT5uYJy9E8
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 29, 2024
The Lakers know their window with the legendary LeBron James is closing; if not this year, it will be soon.
They are obviously doing everything in the team’s power to capitalize on his twilight years and hoist another banner into the rafters, but there is a glaring need for an upgrade of the supporting cast.
Management believes that Russell could be the centerpiece of a trade that would accomplish exactly that and bring more excitement into the lineup.
The team added Dalton Knecht with the No. 17 pick in a move that drew praise from those close to the organization.
Then it added LeBron’s son Bronny with the No. 55 selection in the draft as another piece to the LA puzzle.
Russell asserted he looks forward to playing under new head coach J.J. Redick, though that appears far from certain as many believe he is ripe for a trade.
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