D’Angelo Russell was one of the premier acquisitions in a 2023 trade deadline deal that drastically altered the fortunes of the Los Angeles Lakers franchise. Russell was acquired alongside Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley in a three-team deal that sent Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz, and the Lakers instantly began winning with their new additions at the helm.
Russell helped lead the Lakers all the way to the Western Conference Finals that season, but was essentially played out of that series against the Denver Nuggets. This made his impending free agency all the more interesting.
He tested the free agent market, but ultimately re-signed with the Lakers on a team-friendly two-year contract with a player option after the first season. And Russell would certainly play like someone with something to prove in the 2023-24 season.
He didn’t have the best first half, as lineup inconsistencies and defensive issues plagued L.A. and even forced head coach Darvin Ham to remove Russell from the starting lineup. Russell came off the bench for seven games before Ham reversed the decision, and from that moment Russell exploded.
Russell averaged 20.8 points and 6.6 assists on 43.0% from beyond the arc in the final 41 games of the season. It was easily the best stretch of Russell’s career and contributed to a full season in which he made the most 3-pointers in a single season in Lakers franchise history.
Russell’s 41.5% from three for the season was by far the best of his career. And while he ultimately struggled again in the postseason in their first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets, Russell’s career year was not forgotten.
2023-24 Highlight
Russell had a host of incredible performances in the second half of the season, but nothing compares to his work against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 8. The Lakers guard sunk nine triples and went 17-for-25 from the field in a 44-point and nine-assist performance in a win over the Bucks. It was, by all measures, one of the best games of Russell’s career, and it came in a victory.
2024-25 Outlook
Russell opted in to the second year of his contract with the Lakers, likely because of the dry free agent market league-wide. And while the Lakers certainly used his name in trade talks, they ultimately decided to stick with Russell, now firmly in a contract year.
If he wants to earn another big contract, he’ll have to repeat his efforts from the second half of 2023-24.
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