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Los Angeles Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell isn’t concerned with his involvement in trade rumors.
“I can’t control that my contract makes sense to be traded, so, just play,” Russell said on Monday night, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
The 27-year-old signed a two-year, $36 million contract with Los Angeles in 2023 that includes a player option worth roughly $18.6 million for the 2024-25 season (via Spotrac). The Lakers have reportedly included Russell in trade talks with teams such as the Atlanta Hawks ahead of the Feb. 8 deadline, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.
While Russell signed his contract, he also waived his implied no-trade clause. When asked on Monday about his decision to do so, he discussed his vision for a successful future in Los Angeles.
“I just thought it made sense. … I know what the requirements are to be successful here are,” Russell said, per McMenamin.
Despite struggling with inconsistency throughout the first few months of the season, the former No. 2 overall pick has excelled since he re-entered the starting lineup on Jan. 13. In his first 12 appearances since then, he averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 assists per game while hitting 46.5 percent of his field goals and canning 47.1 percent of his triples prior to Monday night’s action.
The Lakers went 7-5 over that stretch and have now won five of their past seven games after a 124-118 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. Russell’s improved long-range accuracy has helped a team that struggled to space the floor around superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Prior to Russell’s return to the starting lineup, the Lakers owned the ninth-worst three-point percentage as a team in the association (via NBA.com). Since then, Los Angeles holds the No. 4 ranking in the NBA with a 39.9 three-point percentage. Although Russell isn’t solely responsible for the turnaround, it’s safe to say that his red-hot shooting is one of the main reasons for it.
Although Russell is aware of his murky future with the team, his improved play could keep him in a Laker uniform past the deadline.
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