The warning signs were there for the Dallas Mavericks before they signed D'Angelo Russell.
He had just finished the worst season of his career, his impact on winning has always been questioned, and his efficiency had steadily declined over the last few seasons. On top of that, the Mavericks were trying to build their identity around defense, and that isn't one of his strong suits either.
What could possibly go wrong for Dallas? They needed someone to run the offense for the first few months of the season, and it always seemed like he was going to end up as a Maverick heading into free agency.
D'Angelo Russell wasn't the answer for the Mavericks
Many Mavericks fans shared this sentiment going into the regular season, as Russell seemed like he would be a good stopgap guard until Kyrie Irving returns to the lineup. His playmaking and ability to occasionally score in bunches intrigued fans, and many believed that the two-year, $11.7 million deal he signed was a bargain.
Through over one-third of the season, it's clear that this contract wasn't a steal and could even turn disastrous for the Mavericks. Nico Harrison's decision to bring him in has completely backfired, and Dallas could be stuck with him for the remainder of the regular season.
Russell has been in trade rumors over the last few weeks, but his poor play and overall lack of minutes have likely driven his value down significantly. He also has a player option after this season, and he could very well opt in to this deal. Russell likely isn't going to earn a bigger contract than that elsewhere, and he isn't even getting the chance to prove that he deserves to reclaim a spot in the rotation.
On Monday night, in a game that Dallas desperately needed shot creation and someone to run the offense without turning the ball over, Jason Kidd decided to bench Russell. Even with Ryan Nembhard's struggles and Brandon Williams injuring his right ankle during the game, Russell didn't touch the court.
This was a game that he theoretically should thrive in, as the Mavericks didn't have anyone who could consistently set the table for others, but Kidd clearly has zero trust in him at this point in the season. Dallas' marquee free agency addition has turned unplayable after just 30 games, and the writing was always on the wall that his Mavericks tenure was going to be a bumpy ride.
Despite it being expected that Russell had a great shot at starting at point guard on opening night, Kidd decided to roll with Cooper Flagg. This decision from Kidd was more about Flagg and less about Russell, as he wanted to see what Flagg was capable of, but Russell didn't even play much off the bench to begin the year.
He played a combined 24 minutes over the first two games of the season, and he was in Kidd's doghouse before he even played a game. His role ended up increasing as time went on, as the Mavericks needed a true point guard on the floor badly, but his time as a staple in the Mavericks' rotation didn't last long.
He has played over 30 minutes twice this season and has only started in three games. This was not the D'Angelo Russell that Mavericks fans thought they were getting when the team signed him on the opening night of free agency, and the fact that Kidd is reluctant to even play him at all says everything you need to know.
Dallas is already trying to get rid of Russell just 30 games into his two-year deal, and Kidd clearly wasn't in lockstep with Harrison on this signing. The Mavericks clearly view the decision to bring him in as a mistake, as he has been a DNP-CD (Did Not Play - Coach's Decision) multiple times over the last month, and they likely wish that they signed someone else instead.