Getty Lakers stars Anthony Davis and D'Angelo Russell
Anthony Davis issued a strong statement on D’Angelo Russell after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns on March 22.
Davis told reporters that Russell has brought “a lot” to the Lakers since being acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves at the trade deadline.
“His scoring ability, his communication, his playmaking. He does a lot for us,” Davis said about Russell. “Making big shots. He’s getting the crowd involved like he did tonight. So having a player like that takes a lot of pressure off everyone else. The time that he was out, we missed him.”
Russell played an excellent game against the Suns, finishing with 26 points and six assists while shooting 9-of-13 from the field, 3-of-6 from beyond the arc and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line. The one-time All-Star had a plus-minus of +13 in 34 minutes.
The Lakers improved to 36-37 after beating the Suns. They have won two straight games after losing two straight to the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.
Devin Booker Isn’t Surprised D’Angelo Russell Is Playing Well
Suns superstar Devin Booker isn’t surprised Russell is having success in his second stint with the Lakers. Booker and Russell are close friends.
“I’m happy for him,” Booker said about Russell on March 21. “I think he’s in a better situation, a situation that fits his play style a lot more. I always knew what he was capable of. What he’s doing is not a surprise.”
Russell is averaging 18.6 points and 6.4 assists in 11 games with the Lakers while shooting 47.1% from the floor, 39.5% from 3 and 81.6% from the free-throw line. The lefty becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer. Russell will have made over $138 million in his career once this season ends. He’s played for the Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors and Timberwolves.
All Signs Point Toward D’Angelo Russell Re-Signing With the Lakers
All signs point toward Russell re-signing with the Lakers this summer, according to a February 15 report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Lakers will have full Bird rights for Russell.
“Both the Lakers and D’Angelo Russell have already expressed to each other an interest in starting conversations on a contract extension,” Wojnarowski said on NBA Countdown. “Russell could be a free agent this summer, but the Lakers traded for him — giving up as part of that package a first-round pick, two second-round picks — not to be a rental, but to be a solution at that point guard position. So expect D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers to really start engaging on those extension talks here in the next weeks and months into the offseason.”
Lakers icon Magic Johnson, who traded Russell to the Nets in 2017 when he was working in Los Angeles’ front office, told Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win in February that Russell “has really grown and matured.”
“I think D’Angelo has really grown and matured,” Johnson said. “He can score the basketball. He can pass the basketball. He doesn’t turn it over a lot. That’s what I like about him, too. That pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis is going to be special. You have to pick your poison for what you try to do whether it’s Russell coming off the PnR or Anthony Davis rolling to the basket and they’ll have some more time playing with LeBron. If the Lakers can get in, and I think they will, nobody is going to want to play them. That’s for sure.”