Since coming to the Los Angeles Lakers in last month’s blockbuster Russell Westbrook trade, D’Angelo Russell had played extremely well while sparking the team.
In six games with L.A. (he missed six others with a sprained ankle), the point guard has averaged 19.2 points and 6.2 assists per game while shooting 53.2% overall and 47.2% from 3-point range.
In particular, Russell has gone off in his last two contests by shooting a combined 23-of-36 overall and a blistering 11-of-19 from beyond the arc while piling up 61 points and 17 assists.
He will be a free agent this summer, and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on Sunday during the Lakers’ contest against the New York Knicks that the 26-year-old wants to be a member of the team for years to come.
Via Silver Screen and Roll (h/t Lakers Daily):
“D’Angelo Russell very much wanted a second chance in LA with the Lakers and you’ve seen the impact he made coming back against Toronto the other night, playing great in a win, and again tonight. He wants to be the point guard of the future for this organization. He’ll be a free agent this summer.”
Russell, of course, spent his first two pro seasons with the Purple and Gold after he was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft. The team traded him two years later, but he is back, and he seems more mature and more well-rounded than back then.
[lawrence-auto-related count=1]
[mm-video type=video id=01gv3s4tngtdsh6zfdvn playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01gv3s4tngtdsh6zfdvn/01gv3s4tngtdsh6zfdvn-584bdb08153f1cd0c8a94701edaf76ed.jpg]