D’Angelo Russell struggled to find his touch in the Western Conference Finals. He ended up getting benched in Game 4 vs. the series and clocked just 15 minutes in the must-win game.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ longtime target Kyrie Irving was also present in the audience. Former NBA player turned analyst Jalen Rose believes it was a double message from the Lakers.
“You can’t bring back DLo,” Rose said. “I don’t care what number it is, what years it is because when you get benched in the close-out game while Kyrie Irving is sitting in front row, that’s a double message because how did he get his tickets? And so, based on that alone, at halftime of Game 3, everybody knew that D’Angelo Russell should be benched. He was like -53 on the floor, they were like +35 with him off the floor.”
Rose added: “When they didn’t bench him, to me, that was them saying to him, ‘You know what, we’re not going to do that to you right now because we hope to sign you this offseason.’ When they benched him in Game 4, that let me know that they’re not gonna try to sign him.”
(starts at 4:15)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUE5PNgB8Xw
Kyrie Irving has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers a plethora of times over the last few seasons. Despite the rumors, Irving is yet to sign with the Lakers. Although Kyrie is hitting unrestricted free agency this summer, there is still no confirmation if he will join the Purple and Gold.
If anything, Irving has specifically asked fans not to spread rumors about his free agency. Either way, the Laker Nation will hope to see Kyrie join the team and form a Big 3 with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Los Angeles Lakers Are Reportedly Not Interested In Re-Signing D’Angelo Russell This Summer
D’Angelo Russell had a decent regular season with the Lakers, averaging 17.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, and 6.1 APG. He somewhat carried that form into the postseason as well.
But Russell completely disappeared during the Western Conference Finals. He averaged just 6.3 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 3.5 APG while shooting an abysmal 32.3% from the field and 13.3% from downtown.
Keeping that in mind, according to a recent report, the Lakers won’t pursue the $67.5 million extension for D’Lo.
“Russell is eligible to sign a two-year, $67.5 million extension by June 30, which the Lakers will not pursue at the max number, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.”
To be honest, it was bound to happen as the 27-year-old struggled badly in the most important playoff series of his career.
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