Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have hired their new coach in JJ Redick and the 2024 NBA Draft is officially over, attention now turns to free agency and how the team can further improve the roster. Arguably the biggest question mark as free agency approaches is the future of point guard D’Angelo Russell.
Russell is coming off his best season in a Lakers uniform, breaking the franchise’s single-season 3-point record and was a crucial part of their success. The point guard has a player option for next year at $18.7 million and the belief was that, coming off a strong season, he would opt out and hit free agency.
Russell himself has even spoken on this, but now as the deadline nears, things may be changing. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst appeared on First Take and said that because the market for Russell isn’t great, there is a stronger chance he could opt in to the final year of his deal:
“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.”
Recent reports have seemed to lean towards there not being many suitors for Russell, at least not for big money. The Orlando Magic were known to be interested, but not at the amount of money Russell would make if he opted in and the San Antonio Spurs are believed to be not interested in him either, which could leave staying with the Lakers as the most appealing option.
But should he opt in, there is still a strong chance he winds up elsewhere as the Lakers could trade him this summer as well. His contract would open up many possibilities for the Lakers to swing a deal for an impact player without having to give up as much draft capital or a young player, which the front office would undoubtedly prefer. Either way, Russell has a huge decision to make and it will greatly impact the Lakers’ offseason.
LeBron James willing to listen to Lakers about pay cut?
The other big free agency contract decision comes from superstar LeBron James who, like D’Angelo Russell, has a player option and could opt out. Unlike Russell, it is almost a certainty that LeBron will decline that option and hit free agency, but what he ultimately decides to do on the open market is unclear.
He will almost definitely return to the Lakers, but at what price is unclear and there could be a potential chance for him to take a pay cut in order for the team to make a big free agency move.
If both LeBron and Russell opt out of their deals, there is a chance the Lakers could have access to the full mid-level exception, expected to be worth slightly under $13 million. One insider believes that if the Lakers came to LeBron with a plan in place on what they would do, he could be at least willing to listen to the idea that would require him to take around $10-12 million less than the max.
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
