Lakers Make D'Angelo Russell Available for Trade, Could Go After Colin Sexton or Darius Garland: REPORTS

The Lakers Put D'Angelo Russell on the Trading Block as they are now actively focused on acquiring exciting young guards to boost their roster for the upcoming season.

By Kedar Panditrao

Published on Jul 26, 2024 | 10:58 PM IST | 120.6K

In this Article

Lakers look to trade D'Angelo Russell
Why did the Lakers put D'Angelo Russell on the trading block?
Trade possibilities for D'Angelo Russell

D'Angelo Russell picked up his player option to return for another season with the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Lakers are exploring trade options to move him before the season begins.

Russell’s decision to opt in for the final year of his contract seemed to set the stage for a continued partnership, but the Lakers are actively looking to trade Russell to bring in impactful players.

Lakers look to trade D'Angelo Russell

Jovan Buha of The Athletic reports that the Lakers seek to trade D'Angelo Russell. Russell picked up his player option earlier this July, committing to one more season with the Lakers. Despite his stated priority of winning the 2025 NBA championship with the team, it appears the Lakers are keen on trading him as soon as possible.

During the 2023 offseason, Russell signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the Lakers, featuring a guaranteed first year and a player option for the second. He earned $17,307,693 in the 2023/24 season and is set to make $18,692,307 in the upcoming season after opting in. This salary range could allow the Lakers to acquire impactful players or even stars.

Why did the Lakers put D'Angelo Russell on the trading block?

With Russell opting in, the Lakers initially retained a veteran ball handler who averaged 18 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds in the 2023/24 NBA season. On the surface, Russell appears to be a great fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. DLo is known as one of the best shooters and ball handlers in his price range.

However, his inconsistent performance in the playoffs has raised concerns. Although Russell had several standout games during the 2023 playoff run, he struggled significantly in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

This inconsistency was evident again in the first round of the 2024 playoffs against the Denver Nuggets, where his performance fluctuated drastically. In Game 1, he scored just 13 points, but in Game 2, DLo had 23 points, starting 6/7 from the deep.

Yet, he followed this up with one of the worst games of his career, where he scored 0 points, missing all seven of his shots. His inconsistent play and poor defense ultimately contributed to the Lakers losing the series 4-1, drawing significant backlash from fans and analysts.

Trade possibilities for D'Angelo Russell

The Lakers now have the option to trade DLo as his $18.7 million salary could be used to match contracts in potential trades for players like Malcolm Brogdon, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Darius Garland, Collin Sexton or even bigger stars such as Lauri Markkanen or Jerami Grant. Acquiring such players would likely require additional assets, including draft picks, but it could be a strategic move for the Lakers.

Lauri Markkanen, in particular, would be an excellent fit, as he also has an $18 million salary with the Jazz. The Lakers could match this salary and potentially include draft picks in the deal. This trade could significantly bolster the Lakers' roster and enhance their championship prospects.

Max Dible of Heavy.com believes the Lakers could be a potential destination for Darius Garland. He suggests that the Lakers could offer D'Angelo Russell and a couple of unprotected first-round draft picks (2029, 2031) to the Cavaliers in exchange for Garland. Additionally, Bleacher Report’s Isaac Gutierrez thinks the Lakers have Collin Sexton on their list of targets.