D’Angelo Russell may not have a home in Los Angeles next season, as a disappointing playoff run has caused the Lakers to exhaust options for their lead guard before discussing an extension for D’Lo.
A Twitter user revealed that Russell was only one of six players to average 18 points and 6 assists per game this season on 40% three-point shooting, joining Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, Darius Garland, Tyrese Haliburton, and Jamal Murray.
D’Angelo himself responded to the thread praising him and criticized people for sleeping on his skillset.
Sleepy people
— D'Angelo Russell (@Dloading) June 27, 2023
Russell had a strong regular season but was dismal in the playoffs. Even with his 17.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists through the 71 games he played during the year, he averaged just 13.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in the 16 playoff games for the Lakers. His lack of proficiency in the Conference Finals was one of the main reasons the Nuggets swept the Lakers, and it’s a very hard performance to come back from.
Will The Lakers Be Interested In Bringing Russell Back?
With targets like Kyrie Irving and Fred VanVleet being a little challenging to sign without making a sign-and-trade, Russell may be the best guard option that the Lakers can sign. Even if he can’t return to a $30 million payday, Russell will likely fetch north of the non-tax mid-level of $12.7 million, with a payday of about $18-20 million expected.
The Lakers started leaning on Dennis Schroder more heavily after D’Lo’s sloppy playoff performances, another free agent for the team to bring back. There aren’t many ways to justify a difference in salary between the pair given their playoff utility, so the Lakers may elect to bring back Schroder and hope players like Austin Reaves and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino can step into the role whenever needed.
The Lakers will still need a primary scorer in that role, but maybe the trade market is where they can find it. We’ll have to wait and see what they do with the same.
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