D’Angelo Russell isn’t sure where he’ll be next season, but for now he’s enjoying his role in the Lakers‘ playoff run. He was one of several players brought in by general manager Rob Pelinka at the trade deadline, turning L.A. from a sub-.500 team to a possible title contender. Those moves will lead to some difficult offseason decisions as the Lakers have nine potential free agents on their roster, seven of whom see regular playing time.
One of them is Russell, who was acquired from the Timberwolves in a three-team deal in February. The 27-year-old guard talked about his future in an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic.
“I would love to stay here, but I would have loved to be in Minnesota too,” Russell said after scoring 21 points in Saturday’s win over Golden State. “So wherever my feet are, that’s where I’m gonna be.”
Asked whether he believes the Lakers are willing to make him a long-term part of their core group, Russell responded, “They’ve got a decision to make, don’t they? So we’ll see.”
Russell is earning $31.4MM in the final season of a four-year contract he signed when he was with Brooklyn. After being drafted by the Lakers in 2015, he spent time with the Nets, Warriors and Timberwolves before Pelinka brought him back to L.A.
Russell immediately stepped into a starting role and brought stability to the Lakers’ backcourt. He averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game following the trade and has posted similar numbers in the playoffs.
Even though Russell said he would have re-signed with Minnesota, he told Amick that he was expecting the Wolves to trade him rather than negotiate with him in free agency. He adds that he didn’t ask for a deal, but he had a feeling that it was going to happen.
“I felt they couldn’t pay me, so I kind of expected it,” Russell said. “I felt like I was gonna outplay my (Timberwolves) offer, whatever they wanted to offer me, and then I’d be in a position where I’d have to make a decision. And I just kind of held my cards tight and let the basketball gods take over.”
Russell also indicated that he wasn’t fully happy with how he was being used in Minnesota, where he had to take a back seat to Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns in the offense. Even though he’s still playing with two stars in L.A., Russell says he has more freedom to create.
“I felt like I was held back there, honestly,” he said of his time with the Wolves. “I just kind of had to be the third option. Some nights, I was a little more aggressive and was kind of being held back. So to be in a position now where I can kind of thrive and be aggressive and it gets guys going, and where the team reflects off of anybody with that type of energy, it’s fun.”
“I just kind of had to be the third option”
What does he think he is now?
The first option is money
How much would Lakers pay DLo if Rockets give Harden $200 million contract?
None.
I’d rather be the third to the goat and AD than Ant and KAT. WCF or basically a first round sweep
I think the difference is Anthony edwards is score first. Lebron is a facilitator. So the third option in this offense gets more run Offensively
If price is right for Lakers, resign DLo… whatever they deem is feasible in their cap… IGNORE KYRIE… that’s worse than Westbrook, not talking about talent, injuries, especially in playoffs, off court issues…. Could you imagine KYRIE & AD with their injury histories, with an aging Lebron with injury concerns… signing KYRIE would hamstring a franchise, especially with Lebron eventually leaving…
No cap issue here\, they have full bird rights
Goodbye, DLo!
Russell imo would rather be a Laker. But he’s not worth that money. He’s not consistent enough and is suspect on D at times. If Lakers don’t win. Which they won’t (ring). I think they will go after Kyrie. Brons window is almost closed. Ky is only one who can come in and be a huge upgrade. And yes he will play for a chip.
Kyrie may be the more gifted player, but he wouldn’t be an upgrade over Russell. Look at how many teams Kyrie has been on with big expectations, then look at how many have actually won. Kyrie isn’t a winner. Sure LBJ carried him to a title once, but that’s a lot to put on an older Lebron.
I’d take Russell over Kyrie every time, and I wouldn’t think twice about it. The Lakers should, too.
It’s a hard choice…
Both are unreliable, Kyrie to a higher degree off court, Dlo to a higher degree on the court….
D’lo only shows up on offense and in contract years. He’ll get paid but only for salary matching purposes in a sign and trade
Along with 90 percent of the league
Giving D Lo anything more than 4/72 is setting yourself up for failure. I wouldn’t even offer that much.
The problem is he just saw RJ Barrett, Herro and then Jordan Poole escaladeing sign deals to basically be the same guy except younger and more upside. Poole got 4/128.
I still think guys like DLo and Caris LeVert are in for a reality check this summer. But that never happens in free agency, guys that pretend to be good are always over paid compared to guys like Josh Hart.
Think it would be mutual beneficial for the lakers to keep Dlo. Give him something fair like 3 years 45mil, 15 mil a season. He gets to enjoy staying in LA, playing with a team that has a chance in the postseason and gets a good role on offence. Yes he might get more money elsewhere but are they going to allow him to play his game? Are they a chance of doing anything in the postseason? Will it be as good a place to live as LA?
Just take the long term security, doesn’t need a huge pay day his last deal set him up for life. Just chose happiness and lifestyle over the money.
Dlo Bron Vanderbilt and AD will all return and build around that.
A sign and trade of Dlo for Kyrie with Mavs sort of makes sense from Mavs stand point.
Austin reaves is the 3rd option on this lakers team. Dlo more like a 4th option
Dumb name…
Smart comment…
Dlo is a contract year player… Always manages to find his stroke when it comes time to get paid…
Problem for him is… The book is out on him now… He’s gonna have to take a pay cut… Which he seems unwilling to do…
He’s not on the level of a Dillon Brooks, who is on their way to China, but Dlo is certainly not that far aboe MLE money…