There was a lot to like about the acquisitions that the Los Angeles Lakers made during the 2022-23 season, but one of them, left a really bad taste in the mouths of their fans.
D’Angelo Russell had a horrific series against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals and he was widely blamed for the Lakers’ exit. Many didn’t want the team to bring Russell, who is a free agent, back but Shams Charania says he might be the best option for the Lakers.
“They ended up going to the Western Conference Finals, D’Angelo Russell gets benched in Game 4 and I think overall when you look at the landscape, when you talk to team executives, they feel like the Lakers could be in the market for a point guard,” Charania said on Run It Back. “When you think about the available point guards – Fred VanVleet, Kyrie Irving, their best bet might be to bring back D’Angelo Russell.”
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The question here is how much of an upgrade Fred VanVleet or Kyrie Irving would be and what would the Lakers have to sacrifice to get them. Irving would certainly be a huge upgrade but giving him the kind of contract he’d want, would ensure the Lakers just wouldn’t have enough cap space to build out a competent roster around their stars.
As for VanVleet, how big of an upgrade is he over Russell? He has averaged 19.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.8 APG, and 1.7 SPG over the last three seasons but has shot just 39.5% from the field in that time. The last three seasons for Russell, meanwhile, have seen him put up 18.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 6.4 APG, and 1.0 SPG while shooting 43.8% from the field.
VanVleet is certainly a better defender than Russell, but their offensive numbers are quite comparable. The Lakers would also have to give up some assets to acquire VanVleet and are probably better off just sticking with Russell.
Some In The Lakers Organization Want D’Angelo Russell Back On The Roster
While a report indicated that LeBron James wants Russell to be replaced by Irving, the Lakers don’t seem to share that sentiment. A team insider revealed they could offer him a deal worth $18-$20 million per year while Zach Lowe stated that there are members within the organization who want Russell re-signed.
The thinking might be that he only really had one terrible series in the postseason. While he averaged just 6.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG against the Nuggets, the two previous rounds had seen him put up 15.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 5.0 APG. The front office might think that Russell could improve if he has a full year with LeBron under his belt.
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