The Los Angeles Lakers announced they have officially re-signed D’Angelo Russell after acquiring him at the trade deadline of the 2022-23 season. The details of the contract were not released, but it is reported to be a two-year contract worth $37 million. The deal reportedly has a player option for the second year.
Russell was traded to the Lakers from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of the three-team deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, Mike Conley to the Timberwolves and Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley to the Lakers.
While Russell battled injury during the regular season, he quickly made himself a vital part of the Lakers system. He averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists in 17 regular season contests with the Lakers. Fans remembered Russell fondly from his first stint, when he spent two years in L.A. after being drafted No. 2 overall by the team in 2015.
The postseason was a bit of a rollercoaster for the veteran guard. He averaged 16.7 points on 43.5% from the field and 37.2% from three in the first round against the Memphis Grizzlies, but this included both a five-point and a 31-point outing. His best performance came in the closeout Game 6.
Russell was still effective, but saw some shooting inefficiencies during the Western Conference Semifinals against the Golden State Warriors. He shot just 31.0% from three, but was better overall from the field.
The Lakers guard struggled mightily during the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, posting a total of 25 points and 14 assists over the four-game sweep. He made just two threes and lost his starting role in the final game of the series.
L.A. likely could have let him walk, but opted to bring back the guard on a deal that is friendly to both sides, giving the Lakers some flexibility in trades and giving Russell the ability to decide his own future next summer.
Russell still favorite to start in 2023-24
Despite how the 2022-23 season ended for Russell, the belief is that he will still be the team’s starting point guard when next season begins. He will have some competition in the form of Gabe Vincent, but figures to win the starting role. Training camp will be the final determining factor for Russell.
With another year under his belt and some increased chemistry with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Russell should be able to be an impactful piece of the puzzle as L.A. contends for a championship in 2024.
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