The Los Angeles Lakers’ acquisition of D’Angelo Russell at the trade deadline marked a reunion for the 27-year-old guard. But, it also ended a partnership with the Minnesota Timberwolves between Russell and Karl Anthony-Towns.
The two developed a strong relationship through the years before becoming teammates in 2020. Russell and Towns played against each other in high school, then were teammates during the NBA Draft Combine. They went No. 1 and 2 in the 2015 NBA Draft, etching them into history together. Russell even worked out with Towns in 2017 while still with the Lakers.
When Russell was traded to the Timberwolves in 2020, the first person to greet him at the airport was Towns. That exciting partnership didn’t translate to wins though — Minnesota had an all-time record of 85-88 with Russell, making just one playoff run in 2022.
The recent playoff success didn’t translate to this season either and Minnesota decided to move on from Russell in February. Towns recently shared his reaction to losing his best friend in the trade, expressing how proud he is of him for finding success with the Lakers, via “Podcast P with Paul George:”
"I'm just happy he got to LA and they embraced him." ✊@KarlTowns was "hurt" by the DLo trade but is "proud" seeing @Dloading thrive with the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/MPf4fYRPVY
— Podcast P with Paul George (@PodcastPShow) May 10, 2023
Towns expressed shock at the move, even asking Russell if the trade rumors were true. A conversation with Russell in their Utah hotel room confirmed that it was a possibility. The rumors swirled throughout the day, but finally, the trade was finalized that night.
It ended up being a win-win for both sides — Minnesota escaped the Play-In Tournament, but lost in five games in the first round against the Denver Nuggets. The Timberwolves’ acquisition of Mike Conley added a calming veteran presence. The Lakers are in the midst of a deep playoff run with Russell playing huge minutes.
Russell enters the offseason as a free agent and his playoff run is an audition for the Lakers’ front office. The two sides have a mutual interest in a contract extension, though it’s unclear if L.A. will have enough cap space to retain him — Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Dennis Schroder and Lonnie Walker IV are all free agents among others.
However, a deep playoff run with Russell being a huge part can make the front-office decision clearer.
Russell believes he prepared himself well to have impactful postseason run
It’s been an up-and-down scoring postseason for D’Angelo Russell, however, he’s made his presence felt by dishing the ball — he’s led the Lakers in assists in half of their postseason games.
Russell’s postseason success is a direct result of an improved mindset shift since his first run as a Laker.
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