Getty D'Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell‘s future with the Los Angeles Lakers will remain uncertain until further notice. Russell has a player option that he can opt into, but even if he does, that does not guarantee he stays with the team.
Former Laker Patrick Beverley suggested via his X account that Russell could rejoin one of his former teams, the Golden State Warriors, if he opts in.
“If Dlo opt in it, a possibility u can see Steph, (Paul George), Draymond, DLo,” Beverley wrote.
If Dlo opt in it, a possibility u can see Steph, PG, Draymond, DLo…. @PatBevPod
Russell played for the Warriors during the 2019-20 season. They traded him to the Minnesota Timberwolves mid-season for Andrew Wiggins.
Beverley did not elaborate further on what the Warriors would have to do to make a trade work. Both the Warriors and Lakers have crossed the NBA’s second tax apron. One restriction is that they can’t aggregate contracts to make a deal. If the Lakers trade Russell to the Warriors, it has to be for another contra
Also, they can’t take back money entering the second tax apron, meaning they’d have to pay someone who makes the exact amount Russell makes or less. Both Beverley and Russell played for the Lakers during the 2022-23 season, but they were never teammates. The Lakers acquired Russell while trading Beverley away in separate deals.
Lakers Prepared For D’Angelo Russell’s Departure
There have been no concrete reports on what happens next with Russell. He has a player option to opt in for almost $18.7 million. From the looks of things, the Lakers will get rid of him one way or the other.
Lakers Daily’s Anthony Irwin reported that Russell will likely not be on the Lakers roster next season no matter what he chooses.
“Sources close to the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity, say the Los Angeles Lakers are preparing for D’Angelo Russell to opt out, but would not be at all surprised if he opted into his player option for the 2024-25 season. League sources believe that if Russell does opt in, a trade would be likely,” Irwin wrote in a June 26 story.
If Russell opted out, the question would be if he can get a contract similar to the one the Lakers would pay him if he opted in. There won’t be that many teams open cap room, and the ones who do would go after some of the bigger names in free agency first before him.
D’Angelo Russell’s Enigmatic Playoff Performance
Russell performed well in the role the Lakers asked him to play during the regular season. He averaged 18 points and 6.3 assists a game while shooting 45.6% from the field and 41.3% from three. The postseason was a different story.
When the Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets, Russell averaged 14.2 points and 4.2 assists while shooting 38.4% from the field and 31.8% from three. His Game 3 performance, where he scored zero points, tainted his overall performance.
Russell’s inconsistency may hurt his trade value if he opts in and his free agency value if he opts out. If he opts in, his primary value would be that his contract is set to expire in 2025.