On Friday, Dec. 29, the Los Angeles Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets as part of a four-player deal. Dorian Finney-Smith was the headline talent heading to the Lakers as part of the trade.
Former Lakers champion Dwight Howard discussed the deal in a live video posted on X. Howard jokingly claimed that LeBron James had made the decision to part with Russell.
“D’lo went to the Nets, he went back to the Nets,” Howard said. “What’s going on NBA? What’s going on Lakers? ‘LeGM’ made the decision. ‘LeGM’ said ‘that’s enough D’Lo.'”
Russell has struggled to fit into a tertiary role next to LeBron and Anthony Davis during his tenure with the Lakers. As such, it made sense for the front office to swap him for a high-level three-and-d win like Finney-Smith.
Nevertheless, that didn’t stop fans from enjoying Howard’s take on the situation. There has been a strong narrative surrounding LeBron for years, with many believing he has a say in potential roster moves. However, that narrative is nothing more than hearsay and has never been confirmed.
JJ Redick Details Why Lakers Could Miss Russell
During a recent press conference, Lakers head coach JJ Redick detailed why the franchise could miss Russell moving forward.
“I loved coaching D’Lo,” Redick said. “I spent more time with that guy, and on the phone this summer, on the golf course…I told him many times, I want a great outcome for him and I’m hoping he has a great rest of the year. We’re going to miss his playmaking, we’re going to miss his ball-handling, we’re going to miss his shooting. He’s had several games, including recently…where we don’t win those games without him. With Gabe being out…Shake having his first game with us, we’re gonna miss a lot from D’Lo.”
In the 29 games Russell played for the Lakers this season, he averaged 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He shot 41.5% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. Following his departure, Austin Reaves is expected to receive a bump in playing time and usage rate.
Lakers Aren’t Done Making Trades
Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that the Lakers aren’t done making trades. Instead, he expects the front office to remain active heading into the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
“As for what’s next, the Lakers will continue to scour the trade market ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline for potential upgrades, according to team and league sources,” Buha wrote. “But the plan, for now, is to see how Finney-Smith looks with the group, get their injured frontcourt players back (Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt and Christian Wood) and continue to assess the roster as the deadline approaches.”
The Lakers still have multiple first-round draft picks available, so they have enough assets to continue retooling the roster. Pelinka’s flurry of deadline moves last year helped the Lakers advance to the Western Conference Finals. Redick will undoubtedly hope for a similar boost this time around.
Despite Howard’s comments, trading Russell for Finney-Smith was smart business. Now, the Lakers must continue adding long-term talent. Most importantly, they must fit within Redick’s vision for the team’s play.
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Championship-Winning Lakers Center Makes Telling ‘LeGM’ Joke