Lakers Very Close To Finalizing Trade For D’Angelo Russell

D’Angelo Russell made headlines this weekend when he decided to exercise his player option to remain with the Los Angeles Lakers. In doing so, he secured a $19 million payday for next year.

The move in itself is not surprising.

Although Russell played well for large swaths of the regular season last year, he struggled once again in the playoffs. With teams having less money to spend, it was difficult to see him getting a similar payday elsewhere.

“I love what [new head coach] J.J. [Redick] is about and I really see myself thriving under his guidance to help win at a high level,” Russell said of his future in Los Angeles.

The problem is that the Lakers are no longer interested in retaining Russell’s services.

“The Lakers are expected to be aggressive in pursuing Russell-centric trades according to league and team sources, Russell’s expiring contract immediately becomes one of the Lakers’ more valuable trade assets, particularly for salary matching purposes,” team insider Jovan Buha reported this week.

“And so if the Lakers make a trade here within the next 24 hours or within the next week, Russell and his $18.7 million expiring contract is expected to be at the center of that. The Lakers are also armed with two future first-round picks in 2029 and 2031, as well as three pick swaps in 2026, 2028, and 2030.”

The Lakers are currently being linked to a number of prominent moves. They are on the verge of adding one Hall of Famer and one brother of a Hall of Famer.

Then there is whatever they will get for Russell.

One way or another, the Lakers will look very different come next season.

Carlos Garcia

A longtime Sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB Games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.