After initial struggles this season, D’Angelo Russell has been balling out in the last eight games. He has tallied a surprising average of 27.5 points and 6.4 assists per game over the duration, which includes a 34-point performance against Portland and a 39-point showing against Utah. The guard has shot 52% from the field and a staggering 51.2% from the three-point line in his last 10 games. The three-point percentage is particularly impressive because the lefty shooter has nailed 39 triples(almost 5 per game) in just 72 attempts. Because of his sudden resurgence, the Lakers’ offense has looked much more composed and is slowly finding its feet again.
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However, the 27-year-old’s string of performances has made things complicated for the Lakers’ front office. With the trade deadline on February 8, will the Lakers want to trade a red-hot D-Lo as speculated earlier? Around a week ago, Shams Charania reported that the Hawks and the Lakers had discussed a trade involving Dejounte Murray.
As per Charania, if the Lakers wanted to get Murray, they’d have to offload D’Angelo Russell. The NBA insider disclosed that the Hawks were finding a third team in the trade where they could send Russell.
And if they do, there can be a potential deal that sends Murray to the Lakers. However, currently, the rumor mills are getting a little cold on Murray going to the Lakers. Russell is an inferior defender to Murray but a much better deep-range shooter. For a Lakers team that is starved of three-point options, he provides the most consistent output.
If the Lakers add Dejounte Murray, the assimilation process isn’t likely to be smooth. He hasn’t practiced with the squad at all and in such cases, there can be lapses on both ends. At the time of writing, the Lakers have 24 wins and 23 losses and are barely holding onto the ninth spot against an improving Jazz with the same record.
In that case, they can face another downward spiral if they bring in Murray this deep. Not only will they lose their established three-point ace but they will have a new face in the locker room. It can also mean that they slip out of play-in contention. Therefore, the Lakers are likely to stick with D’Lo if things stay the way they are.
D’Angelo Russell is a proven vet
The lefty Guard has been a difference-maker since his rookie year. Despite that, he has been traded four times in his eight seasons in the league. During the second year of his Nets tenure, he notched his maiden All-Star appearance in the 2018-19 season. Russell tallied 21.1 points, 7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game and led the Nets to the sixth seed(42-40). However, he had a sub-par showing in the playoffs and was held below 20 points a game on 35.9% shooting.
His shot has been repeatedly off in the Playoffs. When he made the Playoffs with the Timberwolves, he did score 29 points in the Play-in game but fizzled out in the first round against the Grizzlies. He tallied 12 points and 6.5 assists per game on 33.3% shooting. In his third postseason appearance and during the Lakers’ 2023 Postseason run, he underwent similar struggles.
D’Lo did improve his shooting percentage to 42.6% but disappeared in multiple games. During the Play-in game, he had just two points and missed a ton of big shots. Then in the West Finals versus the Nuggets, he pitched in merely 6.3 points a game on 32.3% shooting. This is why there are concerns about his inconsistency in pressure situations. Will he come around if the Lakers make the Playoffs again?
