Despite the recent resurgence of D’Angelo Russell, the rumor mill somehow finds its way back. This time it is ESPN’s Brian Windhorst who has traced a trade path for the sharpshooter. As per Windhorst, the lefty guard can end up being traded to his former team, the Brooklyn Nets. In an ESPN article, the insider listed out the most likely candidate from each team that can be traded. He included Russell’s name in the “most likely to be traded” column for the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Windhorst cited Russell’s two-year, $36,00o,000 extension as a portal to the trade. Last season, the guard had to waive his right to veto any trades, which made him trade-eligible. This hinted at the Lakers’ openness to moving him. About Russell’s contract, Windhorst wrote,
“Russell waived his right to veto trades as part of his deal last summer. Clearly, the Lakers viewed him as a possible trade option back then and his $17 million deal fits into that mode“.
According to Windhorst, the Brooklyn Nets can emerge as a contender for offloading Russell’s contract. The struggling squad can part ways with Spencer Dinwiddie whose salary occupies $20,357,143 in the cap hit.
Earlier, Shams Charania had reported that the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers have discussed the possibility of a Dejounte Murray trade to the Lakeshow. However, the Hawks wanted to find a third team to offload Russell’s contract and find multiple draft picks.
In Windhorst’s scenario, the Nets fit in as the third contender to match the salary around Russell with Dinwiddie. Windhorst opined, “If they[Nets] do make a deal, it would likely be for a guard — former Nets All-Star D’Angelo Russell has been among those names floated. With an expiring $20.3 million deal, Dinwiddie is the likely fulcrum in any big move before the deadline.”
However, the trade talks around Murray and Russell have been in a cold bag lately. Russell has scored over 20 points a game frequently which Brian Windhorst also alluded to. The ESPN insider penned, “Russell has been linked in talks over a potential deal for Murray, but Russell also just had his best three weeks of the season.” Some teams can find this production alluring and can hit the trade front. How has the guard reacted during this non-stop trade rumor cycle?
D’Angelo Russell doing his thing despite trade rumors
During the Lakers 122-138 loss against the Hawks, Russell finally cooled off and had nine points on 27.3%. The Hawks fans didn’t miss out on a chance to take shots at the lefty guard amid the trade rumors. They were seen chanting “We don’t want you” as their team took a firm grip on the game. While they were trying to get on Russell’s nerves, the guard was going about his business as usual. Having been traded four times, he is used to this song and dance by now.
In a recent press conference, he was asked about how he keeps himself steady around the trade rumors. The guard expressed that the trade rumors only make him play better as he proves his critics wrong by showing up repeatedly. He replied, “I just try to give the media new headlines. Give them something new to talk about. Talk about trades and all that. Gotta talk about making me shots at some point.”
While Russell’s recent surge has given the Lakers much-needed fuel from deep range, it is now their defense that needs fixing. They have allowed 127 or more points in five straight games, which has made their climb mountainous. Despite that, the Lakers must be hesitant to sacrifice their most reliable three-point shooter. But they will need to make some decisions as the trade deadline is just a week away.
