As the NBA trade deadline begins to near, there are a handful of names emerging as potential trade candidates. Of course there are also teams that are looking to acquire talent and the Los Angeles Lakers are one of those teams and the majority of those potential deals involve point guard D’Angelo Russell.
When the Lakers re-signed Russell this offseason, it seemed almost like a foregone conclusion that he would be used in a possible future trade. This was especially the case when it was revealed that Russell waived his ability to veto any potential trade.
Unfortunately for the Lakers, however, it doesn’t look like the rest of the league has much interest in Russell even just as a salary to be moved. According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, opposing teams don’t view Russell and his salary as a valuable trade chip:
Around the league, D’Angelo Russell’s $17 million salary has not been viewed as a valuable trade chip for the Lakers to bolster their roster behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
This is not ideal for the Lakers if they plan on making any big moves at the trade deadline. Russell’s salary is necessary to make a deal for any player of consequence work, but if a team doesn’t care for him, it means the Lakers would have to add more into the trade to make it happen such as picks or young players.
The Lakers have been linked with the likes of Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray this season with the combination of Russell and Rui Hachimura’s salaries being the base of any move. The lack of interest in Russell, however, makes the likelihood of a move for a player of that caliber less likely.
Russell has struggled this season with his scoring and shooting numbers down from a year ago, along with the defensive issues that he has had throughout his career. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham moved him to a reserve role that would seem to suit him well, and while he has said the right things to the media, there are questions as to whether Russell is really satisfied with his role.
As the Lakers continue to look at a move to bolster the roster, Russell will continue to be a name brought up, but it sounds as if the league prefers other pieces.
Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell not worried about constant trade speculation
Seeing your name constantly being brought up in trade rumors can have a negative effect on many players, especially when it gets close to the trade deadline. But as someone who has dealt with this throughout his career, Russell isn’t bothered by it.
“No, I mean, it is what it is,” Russell recently said. “Since I’ve been in the league, I’ve kind of been dealing with that to where I know I can’t control it. I know those things happen, no matter how well you play, how professional you act, how many shots you make or miss, this is gonna happen regardless. So I don’t really go about my days worrying about that, to be honest.”
Have you subscribed to our YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch player interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
