Sports Adam Wells April 26, 2024
Jonathan Bachman/Getty Photos
Because the Los Angeles Lakers are attempting to drag off a miracle while down 3-0 against the Denver Nuggets within the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, D’Angelo Russell’s future with the crew is a looming inquire of of.
On the latest episode of The Hoop Collective Podcast (begins at 39:40 mark), ESPN’s Brian Windhorst acknowledged he believes it’s “seemingly” that Russell will flip down his participant possibility for subsequent season to alter into a free agent.
Russell signed a two-year, $36 million deal to remain in Los Angeles final offseason. The 2nd year is a participant possibility price $18.7 million.
Despite the undeniable reality that Russell wasn’t technically on an expiring contract, the nature of his deal made it such that the Lakers on the least tried to dangle him in commerce talks in some unspecified time in the future of the season.
When the Lakers had been associated to Atlanta Hawks guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, Russell used to be being talked about as a participant who would maintain long gone abet to Atlanta.
Per The Athletic’s Jovan Buha, the Lakers’ preliminary provide to the Hawks for Murray used to be Russell, rookie guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick and extra draft compensation, but Atlanta had no valid interest in taking abet Russell.
As an replace, the Lakers stood pat and hoped they would maintain a speed down the stretch. That technique paid off as a ways as getting the crew into the playoffs. They gained 12 of their final 15 video games within the weird and wonderful season and defeated the Fresh Orleans Pelicans within the play-in match for the No. 7 seed within the Western Conference.
Russell used to be a important fraction of Los Angeles’ success within the weird and wonderful season. He averaged 18.0 substances and shot a occupation-excessive 41.5 p.c from three-point vary on 7.2 makes an are attempting per sport.
In step with these numbers, Russell will almost completely safe extra on his subsequent deal than the $18.7 million he would be owed by exercising his possibility.
The flaws Russell has had valid thru his occupation maintain shown up within the playoffs against the Nuggets. He is a streaky shooter who went 1-of-9 from within the abet of the arc in Game 1 and used to be scoreless on 0-of-7 shooting in Game 3.
Russell did maintain a 23-point efficiency on 7-of-11 three-point shooting in Game 2, but most of that came within the first half. He scored factual five substances on 2-of-6 shooting after the intermission.
There are sufficient groups that need shooting aid, including the Lakers, who can even give Russell a profitable original deal this summer that it makes splendid sense he would are fervent to test free agency.