Tag: D’Angelo Russell

Report: Nets would be interested in bringing back Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell

Per Anthony F. Irwin of Lakers Daily, the Brooklyn Nets would welcome a reunion of former Nets guard D’Angelo Russell.

The Brooklyn Nets have not made a move since free-agency began on Sunday at 6 PM ET despite the fact that they should be on the hunt for young players and draft picks. While Brooklyn has not added any free-agents as of this writing, there is a possibility of them reuniting with a former Net.

Per insider Anthony F. Irwin of Lakers Daily, the Los Angeles Lakers have spoken with the Nets about their “assortment of wings” which most likely includes forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Cam Johnson. Irwin also wrote on X that the Nets would “welcome a reunion” with D’Angelo Russell now that he is on an expiring contract.

Russell is an interesting possibility for Brooklyn given that while he doesn’t fit the Nets’ current timeline at 28 years old, he is someone who could have a positive impact on Cam Thomas as he goes into the last season of his rookie contract. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported on June 29 that Russell opted in to his $18.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season with the intention of staying in Los Angeles and playing for newly-hired head coach JJ Redick.

However, since Russell opted in to his player option, the reports have been indicating that the Lakers are intending to use Russell as a trade chip in order to entire a team (possibly Brooklyn) to give them a player or two that can help Los Angeles compete for a championship. Russell would be the kind of player that the Nets could go after given that he is on an expiring deal and that would give them more cap space for the 2025 summer.

Since a trade would have to happen to bring Russell to Brooklyn, it’s possible that the Nets could trade Finney-Smith or Johnson to the Lakers if Los Angeles strikes out on trying to get that third player (like Klay Thompson) in free-agency. With Brooklyn heading into a full-scale rebuild that will most likely make them one of the worst teams in the NBA next season, a reunion with Russell could be a feel-good story for Nets fans that cheered for him while he was wearing their jersey.

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Buha: Lakers will still look to trade D’Angelo Russell

Guard D’Angelo Russell may have decided to stay with the Lakers, but the Lakers may still decide to send him elsewhere.

On Friday night, Los Angeles Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell exercised the player option on his contract for the 2024-25 season. That means he will remain a member of the team, despite speculation in recent weeks that he would opt out and perhaps leave in free agency.

He said his top priority is to win an NBA championship and that he sees himself thriving under new Lakers head coach JJ Redick.

But if the Lakers had their way, Russell would have to figure out how to thrive on another team. According to beat writer Jovan Buha, they will still look to use Russell as trade bait in the coming days and weeks.

Via The Athletic:

“How long Russell remains a Laker is another matter altogether,” wrote Buha. “After failing to trade Russell ahead of the 2024 trade deadline, the Lakers are expected to be aggressive in pursuing Russell-centric trades, according to league and team sources. Russell’s expiring contract immediately becomes one of Los Angeles’ more valuable trade assets, particularly for salary-matching purposes.”

With former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, a rumored Lakers target, being sent to the New Orleans Pelicans, it remains to be seen who the team tries to deal Russell for.

Russell says he wants to win NBA championship, sees himself thriving under JJ Redick

It looks like Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell has given new head coach JJ Redick his seal of approval.

The Los Angeles Lakers received some good news late Friday night when starting point guard D’Angelo Russell reportedly decided to opt in to his player option for the 2024-25 season.

He will be owed $18.7 million for next year, and at the very least, he could be an important and somewhat attractive chip in a potential trade that would upgrade their roster. Otherwise, he will continue to supply L.A. with accurate 3-point shooting and reliable ball handling and playmaking, at least much of the time.

While making his decision Friday, Russell said his top priority is to win the NBA championship, something he has never come close to doing.

While the Lakers reached the Western Conference Finals with him in 2023, they lost in the first round of this year’s playoffs. They fell both times to the Denver Nuggets, and they’re obviously hoping for better results next spring and summer.

Russell also seems to think highly of the Lakers’ hiring of head coach JJ Redick.

There have been some questions about how some Lakers players may react to Redick getting the job, especially since Redick is friends with LeBron James and has been co-hosting the “Mind the Game” podcast with James.

It looks like at least one other key player has given Redick his seal of approval.

D’Angelo Russell is picking up option year on contract to stay with Lakers

The first domino has fallen when it comes to free agent season for the Lakers.

With a new head coach in place and the 2024 NBA Draft behind them, the Los Angeles Lakers are turning their focus toward personnel moves. Starting very soon, they will attempt to upgrade their roster in order to go from a playoff-level team to a championship-level team.

Doing so will likely require making at least one trade, if not a couple of them. Arguably their biggest trade chip, other than future draft picks, is starting point guard D’Angelo Russell, who just turned in a terrific regular season.

Russell has a player option for the 2024-25 season, and he’s reportedly picking it up to stay with the Lakers.

The 28-year-old averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists a game while shooting a career-high 41.5% from 3-point range during the regular season. Of course, he struggled during the playoffs, continuing a trend that has gone on for several years.

However, the Lakers, if nothing else, will now have an important trade chip they can use on the open market. The fact that Russell will be on an expiring contract could be somewhat attractive to another team in trade discussions.

Windhorst: Chances of D’Angelo Russell opting in may have increased

Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell may not leave the Lakers this summer after all.

Despite all the talk and attention centered around LeBron James’ player option for next season and what he will decide to do with it, there is another very important Los Angeles Lakers player who is in the same situation right now.

Starting point guard D’Angelo Russell, just as James does, has until Saturday to decide whether to exercise the player option on his contract for next year. There have been reports over the last several weeks that have indicated he will likely opt out and at least test the open market.

One team, the Orlando Magic, has been rumored to have interest in him. However, the Magic may not offer him more than he could make with the Lakers.

While on ESPN’s “First Take” on Friday, Brian Windhorst said the chances of Russell opting in and sticking with his current contract may have increased due to a lack of a robust market for him.

“To be honest with you, I don’t have a great feel for what this is going to be,” said Brian Windhorst on First Take. “I thought maybe a month or so ago, D’Angelo would opt out. Now, I think there’s a chance, a stronger chance he will opt in, because the market isn’t looking so great right now. We can talk about that later, but I’m now kind of leaning that direction.”

Russell averaged 18.0 points and 6.3 assists a game while shooting a career-high 41.5% from 3-point range this season. However, he continued to struggle in the playoffs as L.A. lost in five games in the first round to the Denver Nuggets.

As Windhorst pointed out, if Russell stays with the Lakers, either by opting in or signing a new deal, it looks like they will look to trade him, either this summer or before next season’s trade deadline.

Former Ohio State basketball star asks Buckeye Nation to be loud this winter

Listen to the man. #GoBucks

Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye. That’s the mantra around the OSU program, but it extends beyond the football factory. In fact, despite the recent shortcomings of the basketball program, Ohio State actually has a deep and storied history on the hardwood as well.

New head coach Jake Diebler is trying to get the program back to winning championships, which will, in turn, make for a better environment in the Schottenstein Center, but there’s one former hoops star that’s asking for fans to come out and be “loud, loud, loud” this upcoming season.

Former All-Big Ten performer and current Los Angeles Lakers guard, D’Angelo Russell, was recently back in Columbus and took to social media to rile up fans for the upcoming season. Get a look at Russell imploring Buckeye Nation to bring the heat when the hoops team does some of its best work inside Value City Arena during the 2024-25 season.

It’s still a few months before Ohio State takes the court but it’s never too early to remind fans to bring the energy when the time comes.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.

Fischer: Orlando won’t pay D’Angelo Russell more money than the Lakers

Would it make sense for D’Angelo Russell to leave the Lakers if the market for him won’t be great?

A lot of the Los Angeles Lakers’ attention so far this offseason has centered on their head coaching search and their upcoming attempt to keep LeBron James in the fold.

But there is another very important player who can opt out of his player option for next season and become a free agent this summer.

Starting point guard D’Angelo Russell was a breath of fresh air for Los Angeles when he essentially replaced Russell Westbrook last February. But his repeated poor performances in the playoffs have caused fans to sour on him a bit.

Russell has been linked to the Orlando Magic, but according to Jake Fischer on the “No Cap Room” podcast, he may not end up making more money there than he would with the Lakers (h/t Lakers Nation).

“I haven’t talked to anyone in Orlando. I will admit publicly about D’Angelo Russell being on their radar but I can guarantee you he is not on the Orlando Magic radar for more money than what he is potentially on the books for in LA.”

If Russell opts in and stays with the Lakers, he will make nearly $18.7 million next season. It is hard to imagine another team offering him significantly more than that on the open market given his playoff struggles year after year, although it is certainly possible.

He also has the option of opting out and then signing a new deal with the Lakers. That is reportedly their preferred outcome, as they could then use him as trade bait to upgrade their roster.

Lakers, Nets had midseason trade talks about D’Angelo Russell

When D’Angelo Russell saw his name come up in trade rumors at midseason, one team the Lakers tried to send him to was the Brooklyn Nets.

One sizable issue facing the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason is what will happen with starting point guard D’Angelo Russell. He has a player option for the 2024-25 campaign that he can turn down in order to become a free agent this summer.

There has been at least one report that he’s expected to opt out of his contract and at least test the waters of the open market. But the Lakers would prefer to sign him to a big one-year contract if he does so in order to then use him as trade bait.

Of course, Los Angeles already tried to dangle Russell as trade bait prior to this season’s trade deadline. According to Eric Pincus, one would-be deal that was discussed would’ve sent Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in a multi-team trade that would’ve landed Dejounte Murray in L.A.

Via Bleacher Report:

“Multiple sources say that before trading for Dennis Schröder, the Brooklyn Nets were in talks with the Lakers for Russell (with L.A. getting Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks),” wrote Pincus.

Murray, a one-time All-Star guard who averaged a career-high 22.5 points a game this season, was a big target for the Lakers at midseason. Perhaps they and the Hawks will revisit those talks not too long from now, as the Lakers need a guard who can score, facilitate, handle the ball and create pace.

Would the San Antonio Spurs want to trade for D’Angelo Russell?

Could the San Antonio Spurs potentially look to trade for D’Angelo Russell?

It’s no secret that the San Antonio Spurs are going to be considering all their options this summer. They want to improve their roster as soon as possible in order to give Victor Wembanyama his best chance at winning in the Western Conference. This will require hard work at the 2024 NBA Draft, in free agency, and perhaps most importantly, on the trade market.

Bringing in some additional playmaking should be one of the Spurs’ biggest priorities, as improving their offense will be crucial. Getting a guy who can create his own shots and help make life easier on Victor Wembanyama would be huge, and Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell could be a name to keep an eye on.

The Centre Half Bench YouTube channel recently spoke about the idea of the Spurs potentially making a trade for Russell this summer.

There are probably some better options out there for the Spurs to target, but if Russell becomes available for a reasonable price, he would definitely help raise the ceiling of San Antonio’s offense.

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Report: Nets were in trade talks for Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell

Per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Brooklyn Nets tried to trade for Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell near the trade deadline.

The Brooklyn Nets have been trying to find their way ever since the end of the Big 3 that voided any chance they had of contending for titles at the moment. Since the trades, Brooklyn has been trying to make moves to improve the team, including trying to reunite with a former Net.

Per Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, before the Nets traded Spencer Dinwiddie to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Dennis Schroder, Brooklyn was in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire D’Angelo Russell. There were plenty of reports heading up to the trade deadline of the Nets trying to get someone to shake things up for a team that was holding onto their hope of making the postseason.

“Multiple sources say that before trading for Dennis Schröder, the Brooklyn Nets were in talks with the Lakers for Russell,” Pincus wrote. Pincus also noted that as part of the three-team trade between the Nets, Lakers, and the Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles would be getting guard Dejounte Murray. Murray was someone that was coveted by a number of teams, including the Nets, but the Hawks’ price was reportedly too high for any team to pay.

With Brooklyn looking for a spark from someone to elevate the team into a tier of probable playoff contenders as opposed to possible, some people had suggested that the Nets see what it would take to bring Russell back to Brooklyn. Ultimately, Brooklyn decided to trade for Schroder, a player who had a solid performance and veteran presence for the franchise.

If the Nets were going to acquire Russell this summer, it would have to be in a sign-and-trade given the Lakers’ salary cap situation at the moment. Pincus wrote that “Russell could be traded to Brooklyn for a starting salary of up to $20.6 million (roughly $65-$89 million over three or four years) via the Nets’ Dinwiddie trade exception, with perhaps the Lakers getting young center Day’Ron Sharpe and a $16.6 million trade exception.”

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