The Los Angeles Lakers benched D’Angelo Russell after eight games to start last season and quickly moved on in December. They knew he was no longer a starter and impact player on a contending roster, but that did not stop the Mavericks from signing him to solve their point guard woes this offseason. Dallas hoped the 29-year-old would experience a revival, but it is already clearly not happening.
The Mavs need a point guard with Kyrie Irving recovering from a torn ACL. Everyone thought Russell would start, but head coach Jason Kidd has chosen rookie Cooper Flagg to fill the role. Dallas is going with a supersized lineup, which had disastrous results in the first two games. Even Charles Barkley was begging Kidd to start D-Lo.
Russell isn’t the All-Star bucket-getter fans remember. Lakers fans saw the drop off last season, and he made just one for nine from the field and has seven points so far this season. Dallas only played him 24 minutes total in two games, which is a further sign this was a wasted taxpayer mid-level exception by the Mavs.
Lakers already knew D’Angelo Russell was washed before Mavericks experiment
D-Lo is set to make just under $5.7 million this season in Dallas and has a $5.9 million player option for the 2026-27 season. The veteran guard may opt in if things keep going south. He could fall out of the rotation entirely when Kyrie returns. This experiment looks like a disaster and will only get worse.
Russell averaged 12.6 points on 39.0 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent from 3-point range over 58 games last season, split between Los Angeles and Brooklyn. Those were all career-worst marks as the 29-year-old played the fewest minutes per game of his decade in the NBA.
D-Lo was not meant to be Laker and has struggled to help any contender. The Mavs missed a clear sign that things were trending downhill, but their front office has had questionable judgment since their 2024 NBA Finals run.
D-Lo was the Mavericks' lone addition this offseason as Dallas tried to avoid the second apron. They had a clear need and believed Russell was the answer. The Lakers knew better, but Rob Pelinka clearly didn’t inform his old friend Nico Harrison.
Do not be surprised to see Dallas try to trade Russell before the deadline. It is likely their only path to getting him off their roster and finding someone who can help them contend.
D-Lo was a bucket-getter in his prime. He twice averaged over 21 points per game, but has always struggled on defense. Russell helped the Lakers reach the conference finals in 2023, but his numbers dipped mightily from the regular season to the playoffs. That was his only time in his career that he advanced past the first round, and the 29-year-old is already past his peak.
Los Angeles Lakers fans know all too well how this movie ends. They are thankful they no longer have to deal with the D’Angelo Russell experience. It is the Mavericks' problem now, and it is already clear that Dallas wasted over $5 million.