Present position:Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per report >>Text
Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per report
Credit Card Protection Policies9Have read
About Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per report Ru...
Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per report
Russell is widely expected to be a trade candidate for the Lakers this offseason
By Sam Quinn • 2 min readD'Angelo Russell is opting into the final year and $18.7 million of his contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania. Russell, whom the Lakers acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, signed a two-year deal with the Lakers last offseason that included this player option. With trade rumors swirling around him at both the deadline and during this offseason, there was some fear that he might opt out and leave the Lakers for nothing. However, with Russell opting in, the Lakers will either bring back their starting point guard or have extra salary to use in a trade.
Russell has had two strong regular seasons with the Lakers since joining the team in 2023. He averaged 17.4 points in his final 17 games of the 2022-23 season, and then put up 18 points and 6.3 assists per game while breaking the Laker record with 226 total 3-pointers last season. However, Russell struggled mightily in consecutive playoff series against the Denver Nuggets, both of which the Lakers lost. He averaged a pathetic 6.3 points per game in the 2023 Western Conference finals, and then shot below 39% from the floor in the first round against Denver last season. He was benched for Game 4 in 2023 but started all five games last postseason.
While Russell is a strong offensive player in the regular season, those playoff issues combined with his well-known defensive weaknesses make him a tough fit for a Lakers team with lofty postseason ambitions. He was an upgrade on Russell Westbrook when the Lakers were desperate, and his ability to run the offense for lengthy stretches helped keep LeBron James healthy, but now that he has opted in, the Lakers will likely consider him as a trade chip.
Their books sorely needed his salary for that purpose. The Lakers have four other players earning between $10 million to $20 million: Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gabe Vincent. This is the optimal range for trading purposes because it is a small enough number to be traded individually for a single, non-star player, but big enough that, when lumped with other contracts, can take in a very expensive acquisition. The problem here is that the Lakers view Reaves and Hachimura as long-term core pieces. With only Vincent and Vanderbilt as likely trade options, the Lakers were pretty limited in the kinds of players they could pursue. Adding Russell's $18.7 million to the mix gives them more flexibility to seek out help.
Tags:
Reprinted :Welcome friends to share to the network, but please explain the source of the article“Credit Card Protection Policies”。http://aqntz.feilaokan.com/kho3h4.html
Related articles
2023 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year: Aces' Alysha Clark earns honor for first time
Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per report2023 WNBA Sixth Player of the Year: Aces' Alysha Clark earns honor for first time Clark has b...
Read more
UFC 306 full card results, schedule for Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili at The Sphere
Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per reportUFC 306 full card results, schedule for Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili at The SphereDaniel...
Read more
Dancing with the Stars cast: Danny Amendola, Dwight Howard, Ilona Maher highlight Season 33 dancers
Lakers' D'Angelo Russell exercises $18.7 million player option to stay in L.A., per reportDancing with the Stars cast: Danny Amendola, Dwight Howard, Ilona Maher highlight Season 33 dancersK...
Read more
Top Article
- March Madness 2024: Ranking every starter for the Final Four teams from No. 1
- Letter from Mother Teresa, written on day she died, addresses 'dearest children'
- Lions' Amon
- March Madness 2024: Houston walk
- 2024 NBA Draft: Dalton Knecht, Alex Sarr, Reed Sheppard top Big Board projecting best pro careers
- Beware 'love bombing,' the relationship
Latest News
2024 NBA Draft picks: Recruiting star ratings for every first
Beware 'love bombing,' the relationship
College basketball rankings: Houston, North Carolina lead way
NHL Star Power Index: Maple Leafs' William Nylander piling up goals, J.T. Miller pacing red
2023 WNBA playoffs: Las Vegas Aces earn No. 1 seed, home
Alabama basketball schedule 2024