Proposed Lakers Trade Sends D’Angelo Russell Out East

Getty Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell

Save for his rookie season in 2015-16, there hasn’t been a season in Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell‘s career when he wasn’t a subject of trade talks. He enters the 2024-25 season in familiar territory, with many insiders and analysts expecting the Lakers to shop the veteran guard before the February 6, 2025 trade deadline.

Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey has proposed a trade that would send Russell to the Bulls as part of a three-team trade also involving the Pelicans.

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Zach LaVine and Antonio Reeves

Chicago Bulls Receive: Brandon Ingram, D’Angelo Russell, Jalen Hood-Schifino, a 2029 first-round pick (from Los Angeles) and a 2031 first-round pick (from Los Angeles)

New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Rui Hachimura, Chris Duarte, Cam Reddish, Jaxson Hayes and a 2031 first-round pick (from Chicago)

Bailey argued that Ingram, who did not sign a contract extension with the Pelicans this summer, could be a disgruntled asset on the move.

Similarly, LaVine was actively shopped by the Bulls last season, per multiple insiders, and could be best served heading to the Lakers, his hometown franchise.

Ingram and Russell Reuinted?

The proposed trade would reunite Russell and Ingram, who were teammates during the latter’s debut season with the Lakers in 2016-17.

However, Bailey felt neither player could be a long-term fit with the Bulls, and that they should execute the proposed trade just to hand the franchise to the young duo of Josh Giddey and Matas Buzelis. Since Ingram and Russell are both on expiring contracts — both can become free agents in 2025 — the Bulls could be tempted to do the trade just to dump the salaries and clean the books for a fresh start.

“If they can’t find other takers to flip them [Russell and Ingram] to before February, they can simply let their money come off the books next summer,” Bailey wrote on October 9. “Adding Hood-Schifino gives them another interesting young guard to take a look at during these rebuilding years, too.”

“More importantly, this framework nets Chicago a first-round pick (as it does for New Orleans). That may not sound like enough to Bulls fans, but it’s an awful lot better than having to attach a first to LaVine to unload him (as Marks suggested they’d have to do in June).”

Should Lakers Trade All Those Picks?

Bailey’s trade proposal calls for the Lakers to part with two coveted first-round picks. One wonders if LaVine is the caliber of player the Rob Pelinka-led front office would be willing to part with valuable draft assets.

Last season, several insiders suggested that the Lakers were inclined to trade the picks for players such as Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. However, two of those All-Star guards have either committed to their existing franchise or signed new contracts in the 2024 offseason. As such, the Lakers could be forced to settle for LaVine.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Pelinka spoke about what it would entail for the Lakers to part with their only two tradeable first-rounders.

“I think the philosophy that JJ [Redick] and I are aligned on is we want to build sustainable Lakers excellence,” Pelinka said, via Yahoo Sports. “… Yes, we would do a trade with both picks if that would lead to sustained Lakers excellence. We would also use one pick to make a marginal upgrade if we felt like it was the right thing to do. We looked long and hard and did a lot of work seeing if there are ways to increase the overall roster talent this offseason and the right move didn’t present itself.”