The Los Angeles Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell last season in the Dorian Finney-Smith deal, and the polarizing guard will likely be on the move again before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. Russell signed with the Mavericks in the offseason and hasn’t lived up to the hype. Dallas desperately needs a playmaker, but D-Lo is shooting under 40 percent from the field and coming off the bench. The Mavs are headed toward the lottery and have no use for the veteran.
Lakers fans have had plenty of laughs at the disaster in Dallas, but nobody can be shocked here. Russell was dumped by the Lakers and struggled even worse in Brooklyn. Assuming he would suddenly transform into a capable starting point guard was absolutely foolish thinking by Dallas.
D-Lo turns 30 in February and is making $5.6 million this season. Dallas is over the first apron and headed toward the lottery. They would love to get younger, recoup some draft capital, and lower their luxury tax bill. It will be years before they dig out of the mess Nico Harrison created, but trading D’Angelo Russell is a start.
D’Angelo Russell won’t last long with the Mavericks
The former All-Star has been traded five times in his NBA career, including twice by the Lakers. LA drafted him with the second overall pick in 2015, but sent him packing just two years later in the deal that landed them Kyle Kuzma and Brook Lopez. Russell returned to the Lakers in 2023 before being traded in December of 2024.
The 6’3 guard played a key role in the Lakers' run to the conference finals in 2023, but his inconsistent shooting and defensive struggles have limited his playoff impact throughout his career. The franchise knew it was time to move on before wasting another year, and the Lakers haven’t had a regret since.
Russell is in the middle of the worst season of his career. He averaged 11.9 points, 4.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.5 steals in 22.0 minutes per game through the first 15 contests. Those are the lowest scoring and minutes averages of his career. He is shooting just 38 percent from the field and 22.7 percent on his 3-point attempts.
Russell has a negative value over replacement player (VORP) and win shares per 48 minutes. He has been abysmal, and the Mavs would love nothing more than to move on.
It won’t be easy, but Dallas will likely try to make him part of a larger trade package. The Mavericks are rumored to be shifting their focus to the Cooper Flagg timeline, which puts Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving firmly on the trade block. The franchise’s best bet is forcing someone to take D-Lo in one of those star trades.
The Los Angeles Lakers will be active and aggressive before the deadline, but D’Angelo Russell won’t be a target. That ship has sailed. D-Lo likely finishes the year on a rebuilding team or out of a contender’s rotation. He has been that bad, and there are zero signs of improvement. Hopefully, Lakers fans will remember the good times.