Former Laker a Likely Buyout Candidate After Trade Deadline
The Los Angeles Lakers have reason to celebrate after a stellar NBA trade deadline performance. With Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic and promising center Mark Williams joining LeBron James in L.A., the Lakers are gearing up for a possible championship run.
Despite the deadline passing, teams can still bolster their rosters, especially with veteran players potentially being bought out to join playoff-contending squads.
One player familiar to Lakers fans may be on the buyout radar:
D’Angelo Russell Named Buyout Possibility
On Friday, The Athletic’s John Hollinger listed 35 potential buyout candidates for the rest of the 2024-25 season, and “coming in at No. 2 is former Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell,” who was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in December. Hollinger speculated, “Russell is helping a tanking team win slightly too often for everyone’s tastes, so one wonders if the Nets might look to give him his wings.”
Russell, 28, was often a target of criticism during his time with the Lakers. Though the 2015 second-overall pick contributed to regular-season victories, he frequently vanished in the playoffs, leaving fans hoping for a trade. The Lakers got their wish when Russell, along with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks, were sent to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
Since joining the Nets, Russell has averaged 14.2 points, 6.1 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in 14 games, though his shooting percentages are underwhelming—37.5% from the floor and 33.3% from beyond the arc. However, his offensive production may still make him an attractive bench option for a title contender.
“It’s worth noting that Russell has a better true shooting percentage (55.9 TS%) coming off the bench in 22 games this season than he does in his 21 starts (51.7 TS%).” Some players excel in smaller roles, and Russell might be best suited for a team that already has a primary point guard.
Russell has played for four different NBA teams during his 10-year career, and it’s possible that number will grow to five in the near future.
For now, the Lakers head into the final stretch of the regular season with the sixth-best NBA Finals odds (+1900) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
