Trade Breakdown: Rui Hachimura To The Lakers
This is the first entry in our series breaking down the significant trades of the 2022/23 season. As opposed to giving out grades, this series explores why the teams were motivated to make the moves. Let’s dive into a deal between the Lakers and Wizards…
On January 23, the Lakers sent Kendrick Nunn, the Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick, and their own 2029 second-round pick to the Wizards in exchange for Rui Hachimura.
The Lakers’ perspective:
After missing the entire 2021/22 season with a somewhat mysterious knee injury (it was described as a bone bruise), Nunn picked up his $5.25MM player option for the 2022/23 season and Los Angeles had high hopes for his return to action.
Unfortunately, he had a miserable start to the season, averaging just 5.2 PPG, 1.1 RPG and 0.9 APG on .365/.308/.923 shooting through 29 games (11.5 MPG). Nunn’s primary skill is his ability to score, and he wasn’t having much success at it.
Entering the season, the Lakers had six players on their roster who primarily played guard: Nunn, Dennis Schröder, Austin Reaves, Russell Westbrook, Lonnie Walker and Patrick Beverley. Of the six, only Walker (6’4″) and Reaves (6’5″) are taller than 6’3″. Nunn was last among the group on depth chart.
Head coach Darvin Ham had to cobble together some extremely small lineups due to the team’s flawed roster construction – Schröder, Westbrook, Walker and Beverley were third through seventh on the team in minutes per game at the time of this trade, trailing only LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
At the two forward spots, the Lakers had Troy Brown Jr., Max Christie and Juan Toscano-Anderson, all of whom are 6’6″. Wenyen Gabriel (6’9″) has played both power forward and center. And then James (6’9″) at power forward.
Obviously, size, strength and athleticism was needed with such a small roster. Trading away Nunn was no big loss, as he was 13th on the team in minutes per game and shared too much overlap with the team’s glut of guards.
Enter Hachimura, who stands 6’8″ and weighs 230 pounds. While some have labeled the 25-year-old a wing, he has been more of a power forward who can slide down to the three at times to this point in his career.
As with Nunn, Hachimura’s primary NBA skill is his ability to get buckets. He is a strong mid-range scorer who likes playing out of the triple-threat position in isolation. He can drive both ways and particularly favors a spinning baseline fadeaway over his right shoulder.
Hachimura is also a strong transition player, using his athleticism to get to the rim in the open court. He can finish with both hands in those scenarios and it’s difficult for defenders to handle a player with his size and strength while backpedaling.
As has been repeated ad nauseam, the Lakers needed more three-point shooting and defense on top of the other roster flaws. Hachimura doesn’t help much with either of those issues.
After shooting 31.3% from deep on low volume over his first two seasons, Hachimura made a blistering 44.7% of his attempts from beyond the arc on slightly higher volume last season, giving hope that he was turning the corner on that front. He’s back down to 32.5% in ‘22/23, including 28.6% in 11 games as a Laker, making last season’s success look like an outlier.
While Hachimura’s outside shooting may have regressed, he does have a nice one-dribble pull-up jump shot when defenders chase him off the line. His efficiency would certainly improve if he could turn that dribble into a side-step three-pointer instead of a long two, but he converts the twos at a higher clip right now.
Defensively, Hachimura is solid one-on-one, particularly against bigger wings and power forwards. He struggles in other aspects on that end, however, as he frequently lacks off-ball awareness, isn’t a great rebounder (he doesn’t box out), and isn’t a play-maker (his steal and block rates are alarmingly low for a player with his physical attributes).
Having said that, the cost to acquire the former lottery pick wasn’t prohibitive, and he definitely has talent. The Bulls’ 2023 second-round pick would be No. 37 at the moment, so that has solid value. The other two second-rounders are several years down the road, so there’s plenty of time for the Lakers to rebuild their draft capital (there’s also typically at least a couple second-round picks for sale in every draft – that’s how they acquired Christie, the 19-year-old rookie).
I liked the fact that the Lakers made the trade two-plus weeks before the February 9 deadline, as that allows them to get a better look at Hachimura and gives him more time to get acclimated to the team. He has already played 11 games for the Lakers, so he could play nearly half of their games if he stays healthy.
Hachimura will be a restricted free agent in the summer if he’s tendered a qualifying offer worth a projected $7.7MM, giving L.A. additional options when compared to Nunn, who will be an unrestricted free agent. For what the Lakers gave up, they shouldn’t feel committed to giving Hachimura a long-term contract unless they’re happy with his play and believe in his upside.
The Wizards’ perspective:
It’s worth noting that Nunn had been playing pretty well at the end of his Lakers tenure, getting playing time due to injuries to Walker and Reaves. He averaged 11.0 PPG and 2.4 RPG on .478/.354/.625 shooting over his final 10 games (19.6 MPG) with L.A.
That has carried over to the Wizards, and he’s been a useful reserve for a team that needed backcourt depth and bench scoring. Through 11 games (18.4 MPG) with the Wizards, Nunn is averaging 8.8 PPG, 2.2 RPG and 2.7 APG on .487/.400/.900 shooting.
In addition to the second-rounders, the Wizards gained a little bit of financial flexibility, saving about $1MM and moving further away from the luxury tax line.
They didn’t end up using the flexibility in a subsequent trade, but it will come in handy if they want to give two-way player Jordan Goodwin a multiyear standard contract. Washington could use a leftover portion of its mid-level exception to offer Goodwin a three- or four-year deal and a starting salary above his minimum without going into the tax.
It’s easy to bemoan the Wizards seemingly selling low on a former No. 9 overall pick, and it’s certainly fair to say that they don’t have a strong track record of player development. But both of those points gloss over the fact that things just weren’t working out for Hachimura in D.C.
Hachimura has had extended absences in each of his four seasons, missing at least 15 games per year, and was reportedly unhappy with his role. It’s hard to envision how he would have fit in long-term, given his distinct strengths and weaknesses.
When I wrote about Hachimura prior to the trade, I said he plays with a “physical edge offensively.” That take was mostly based on his first two seasons, but after watching him play more in preparation for this article, I would say it’s mostly inaccurate.
Hachimura does use his footwork, size and strength to draw fouls on occasion, and he’s good at it, but more often than not he shies away from contact, which is somewhat perplexing. He has certainly been better at playing more aggressively on the Lakers, but he frequently settled for jump shots with the Wizards even when he had a size advantage.
One thing I haven’t touched on yet is Hachimura’s passing, or lack thereof. He has taken 421 field goal attempts in ‘22/23 and dished out 41 assists, which is not ideal. The combo forward doesn’t see the floor very well and is regularly a beat slow making reads.
He doesn’t turn the ball over much, but the main reason for that is he just doesn’t look to pass even in situations where teammates are wide open. I could see that being frustrating for both the team and teammates.
There’s often a sunk-cost fallacy when it comes to players who were selected early in drafts. As painful as I’m sure it was for the Wizards to admit it, I believe it was clearly time for both sides to move on.
Wizards president of basketball operations Tommy Sheppard said after the deal that it was partly motivated by a desire to give more responsibility and playing time to Deni Avdija, the third-year forward who was the No. 9 overall pick a year after Hachimura.
In 12 games (28.2 MPG) post-trade, Avdija has arguably enjoyed his most productive stretch in the NBA, averaging 13.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.4 SPG on .469/.350/.740. He doesn’t have Hachimura’s scoring upside, but his game is more well-rounded and is a smoother fit on the Wizards’ roster.
All in all, I think it was a reasonable trade from both sides. I’m sure the Wizards would have liked to have gotten a first-round pick in exchange for Hachimura, even if it was a late first-rounder, but the market just wasn’t there. As for the Lakers, it turned out to be one of multiple deals they made in an effort to reshape their roster – we’ll cover the rest in subsequent articles.
Suns Among Teams Interested In Kevin Love
The Suns are among the teams interested in Kevin Love if he finalizes a buyout with the Cavaliers, Brian Windhorst of ESPN said in an appearance on Pardon the Interruption (YouTube link).
As Windhorst points out, Love was teammates with Suns president of basketball operations James Jones when Cleveland won its lone championship in 2016, so there’s a connection there. Love also played with Kevin Durant and Chris Paul on Team USA in 2012, when the Americans went undefeated in the London Olympics.
The Suns have an open roster spot and both their taxpayer mid-level and bi-annual exceptions available, so they could offer Love more than a minimum-salary contract if they’re so inclined.
According to Windhorst, Love requested the buyout due to a lack of playing time, having been a healthy scratch for the past 12 games. Windhorst suggests the Cavs weren’t “thrilled” with the request, but they had gone 9-3 with Love out of the rotation, so they didn’t want to switch things up when they’re having success without him.
A few teams called Windhorst after the news broke requesting background information on the veteran big man, so he is attracting interest despite having a down year — Love is averaging career lows in points (8.5), rebounds (6.8), minutes per game (20.0). A thumb injury, which is now healed, limited his effectiveness from an efficiency standpoint, as his FG% (.389) and 3PT% (.354) are his worst marks since 2012/13, when the 34-year-old played just 18 games due to injury.
Windhorst says the Heat are “very interested” in Love, but notes that Cleveland might have to play Miami in the first round of the playoffs — paying him to join a direct competitor in the East obviously doesn’t make much sense. Windhorst wonders if the Cavs will negotiate to try to force Love to join a Western Conference team instead.
Giannis Antetokounmpo Suffers Right Wrist Sprain
9:28pm: The initial reports on Antetokounmpo’s wrist were “hopeful” and X-rays were clean, head coach Mike Budenholzer said after the game, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic (Twitter link). Antetokounmpo will continue to be evaluated in the coming days, Budenholzer added.
7:47pm: Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a right wrist injury during Thursday’s game against the Bulls, tweets K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago.
The two-time MVP fell into the stanchion after blocking Coby White‘s shot and he immediately started holding his wrist (YouTube link via House of Highlights). He checked out of the game shortly thereafter to get evaluated and was ruled out with a right wright sprain, per the Bucks (Twitter link).
It’s unclear how severe Antetokounmpo’s injury is at this time, but it certainly seems like he could be yet another All-Star who might need a replacement for this weekend’s exhibition contest. The forward received the most votes among Eastern Conference players and was set to captain the new pick-up style draft format, which will take place shortly before the game.
Obviously, of bigger concern is his status for the remainder of the 2022/23 season. Antetokounmpo is as physical of a player as there is in the NBA, and he has played through injuries in the past, but he is right-handed, so the injury will affect his dominant shooting hand.
On a positive note, the Bucks won’t play again until February 24, so Antetokounmpo will have eight days to rest the wrist sprain and hopefully be ready to go after the break. Milwaukee is currently 40-17, the No. 2 seed in the East, trailing Boston by one game and leading Philadelphia by two.
The 2021 Finals MVP is nearly averaging a point per minute, recording career highs in points (32.5) and rebounds (12.3) to go along with 5.5 assists through 46 games (33.6 minutes).
Kevin Durant On Joining Suns, Time With Nets, Irving, More
The Suns held a press conference on Thursday (YouTube link via ESPN) introducing Kevin Durant, who was acquired last week from the Nets in a four-team blockbuster trade. With several thousand fans in attendance, the superstar forward confirmed that he requested a trade to Phoenix following Kyrie Irving‘s own surprise trade request and the subsequent deal that sent the guard to Dallas.
“I was upset that we couldn’t finish (the season),” Durant said, per Nick Friedell of ESPN. “I thought we had some good momentum. We were finally building a culture that we always wanted. I felt like every game we were building our chemistry, but I didn’t know what was going on with Kyrie and his situation with the organization, so I didn’t really focus on that. I only focused on what we were doing on the court, and it was a blow to our team. It just took away our identity. He was a huge, huge part to what we do. His game, he’s a Hall of Fame player, a great, great player, that can do everything on the floor and we relied on that.
“So without him we didn’t have a clear identity. So that was tough for me to stomach. I love playing with those guys throughout the year. I felt like we had dudes that were stepping up and doing stuff that they didn’t do on their previous teams. So I enjoyed everything about it — it was tough not finishing the season, but I just tried to move forward as quickly as I can and try to figure something out for myself, but also still focus on trying to rehab and get back. So it all happened so fast, but I’m glad it worked out this way.”
Durant got emotional discussing his time with Brooklyn, Friedell adds.
“It was a lot of ups and downs, but I loved the grind,” Durant said. “And everybody in Brooklyn loved the grind, too, so I built a family over there. They’re going to always be part of my journey. So we didn’t accomplish what we wanted to accomplish as far as winning a championship, but I enjoyed the grind. And everybody there, we tried our hardest every day, regardless of what was going on in the media, or what was going on with our teammates.
“I get emotional talking about them because that was a special four years in my career, coming off an Achilles (injury). They helped me through a lot, so I don’t have anything (bad to say).”
Here’s more from Durant’s press conference (quotes courtesy of Friedell, Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic and Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports):
On the Nets’ “big three” he formed with Irving and James Harden:
“We just didn’t get on the court enough. I think when you seen James, Kyrie and myself, it was amazing basketball for (16) games, but in order for you to win a championship and be a great team, you just need more time on the floor. It’s another story about why we didn’t get on the floor together, but we just didn’t get enough time on the floor. And those are Hall of Fame players that I learned a lot from every day. I’m wishing them the best as well. It just didn’t work out.”
On why he wanted to join the Suns in particular:
“They experienced a lot the last couple of years. You see the growth of this team. When (head coach) Monty (Williams) took over, when (GM) James (Jones) came in, I saw the culture start to change. The way they played on the floor, the energy that they play with started to change. I always loved playing here in Phoenix. The fans always showed love to just good basketball in general. They always cheered their team on, but they always showed love to the opposing team as well. I knew this would be a great place to play and a great place to continue get better as a player.”
On Durant’s belief that the Suns have enough to bring Phoenix its first NBA championship:
“I think we got all the pieces to be successful. We got guys that have experienced what it’s like to play in that final round. We got a champion (Jones) already that’s overseeing us. Monty’s a champion as a coach. So we got guys that been there and that’s half the battle, just knowing what it takes.”
On playing with Devin Booker:
“He’s just such a quiet, efficient scorer, and he goes about his business on and off the court in just a mature manner. I wanted to be a part of his journey and see how good he can get from here. He’s just one of those players that I really admire, and people are gonna be doing classes on him once he’s done playing. You can learn so much from watching his game.”
On the support he’s received from Phoenix’s fans:
“While I appreciate it, I truly don’t think I deserve all this because I know I’ve done a lot of good things in basketball, but I haven’t done ‘em yet in a Suns jersey. I’m looking forward to doing it. I wanna go out there and do the most as I can and be the best that I can every day for you guys. So I appreciate the warm welcome, but I got more work to do.”
On when he might return to action from his MCL sprain:
“I’m going to follow the training staff and go on the schedule they got me on. So hopefully soon after the break.”
Jazz Waive Leandro Bolmaro
7:30pm: Bolmaro actually reached a buyout agreement with the Jazz, reports Eric Walden of The Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter). Bolmaro wanted to return to Europe in order to get playing time and Utah accommodated his request, per Walden.
4:55pm: The Jazz have officially waived Bolmaro, per NBA.com’s transaction log. Utah now has 13 players on standard contracts and will have up to two weeks to add a 14th man.
2:24pm: The Jazz intend to waive Leandro Bolmaro, sources tell Shams Charania and Tony Jones of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Bolmaro, a 6’6″ guard from Argentina, was the 23rd overall pick of the 2020 draft, but wound up signing his contract a year later, so he’s only in his second NBA season. The Jazz declined their third-year team option on the 22-year-old before the 2022/23 season began, which indicated that he might not be in Utah’s long-term plans.
As Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune notes (via Twitter), the Jazz’s backcourt was shorthanded during Wednesday’s loss to Memphis — Russell Westbrook is away from the team as he explores his options, and Collin Sexton exited the game early with a left hamstring injury (Twitter link via Larsen). The fact that Utah opted not to use Bolmaro in that situation was a pretty ominous sign.
Larsen has heard the Spurs may have been interested in Bolmaro in the past. San Antonio’s 17-man roster is full at this point, however.
Bolmaro spent his rookie season with the Timberwolves, but was sent to Utah as part of the Rudy Gobert trade. In 49 career games, including 14 this season with the Jazz, Bolmaro has averaged just 6.3 minutes per contest.
If he clears waivers, the former first-round pick will receive $2,471,160 from Utah and will become an unrestricted free agent.
Anfernee Simons Diagnosed With Grade 2 Ankle Sprain
Anfernee Simons has been diagnosed with a grade 2 right ankle sprain after undergoing an MRI on Thursday, the Trail Blazers announced in a press release.
Portland confirmed the fifth-year guard will miss All-Star weekend, which was expected (he was replaced in the three-point contest by Julius Randle). However, his return timeline is hazy, with the Blazers saying it will be determined at a later date.
As Aaron J. Fentress of The Oregonian notes (via Twitter), grade 2 sprains can be tricky injuries. Simons’ teammate, Justise Winslow, has been out since December 21 due to his own grade 2 ankle sprain, though that seems to be an abnormally slow recovery process.
Another player who dealt with a grade 2 ankle sprain this season was LaMelo Ball, who missed about a month of action to start 2022/23. At the time, Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes.com reported that players have missed an average of 19 days with the injury, so perhaps Simons will recover quicker than Winslow or Ball. The Blazers are off until next Thursday, so that should help.
Simons sustained the injury in Tuesday’s loss to the Wizards. He drove toward the basket late in the third quarter, pulled up, and attempted a floater over Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma. When he landed, Simons’ right foot came down on Kuzma’s right foot, causing his ankle to roll (video link). He had to be helped off the court by the training staff and was on crutches after the game.
If Simons has to miss extended time after the break, it would be a tough blow for a Blazers team that’s fighting to stay in the play-in mix in the Western Conference. Portland currently has a 28-30 record, putting the club a half-game behind the No. 10 Thunder.
The Blazers don’t have a ton of backcourt depth, so it won’t be easy to replace Simons’ production. Portland’s second-leading scorer is posting career highs in several categories this season, including points (21.4), assists (4.2), rebounds (2.7), FG% (.450) and FT% (.913) through 56 games (35.5 minutes per contest).
Rookie first-rounder Shaedon Sharpe should receive an uptick in minutes with Simons sidelined, but beyond him it’s hard to say who else could be in line for additional playing time. Nassir Little is another candidate, though he’s definitely more of a forward than a guard.
Julian Champagnie Claimed Off Waivers By Spurs
6:02pm: San Antonio confirmed in an email that it claimed Champagnie. He will wear No. 30 for the Spurs.
4:20pm: The Spurs have claimed Julian Champagnie off waivers, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowki (Twitter link).
An undrafted rookie out of St. John’s, Champagnie had been with Philadelphia on a two-way contract, but he was recently waived in favor of Mac McClung. The Spurs have an open two-way spot, so they won’t need to release anyone to acquire Champagnie.
The 21-year-old spent three college seasons with the Red Storm, averaging 19.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 2.0 SPG and 1.1 BPG on .414/.337/.781 shooting in 31 games (34.2 MPG) as a junior. He only appeared in two games with the Sixers for a total of seven minutes, having spent the majority of his first pro season with their G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats.
The 6’8″ forward had an impressive run during the fall Showcase Cup, averaging 21.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 1.2 BPG on .465/.347/.839 shooting in 14 games (35.1 MPG). His numbers have declined since the regular season began, with Champagnie recording 14.3 PPG, 5.7 RPG and 0.9 BPG on .419/.352/.875 shooting in 18 games (28.7 MPG) for the Blue Coats.
The Spurs now have a full 15-man standard roster and both two-way slots filled — Dominick Barlow occupies the other.
Nuggets Notes: KCP, Jackson, Murray
Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was disappointed that he wasn’t selected for the three-point contest at All-Star weekend, writes Mike Singer of The Denver Post (subscriber link).
“I really tried to get out there and show them, it’s a lot of great shooters in this league, and if we’re going to put in the work to be the best, we should be at least rewarded or have an opportunity to showcase it,” Caldwell-Pope said. “That didn’t happen. It’s all good. I’m gonna come back and bring home another trophy.”
Caldwell-Pope is shooting a career-high 45% from deep, which ranks third in the NBA. He said he thought he may have been passed over due to his lack of attempts (he averages 4.3 per game), per Singer.
Head coach Michael Malone raved about Caldwell-Pope’s professionalism and defense, Singer adds.
“The reality is, honestly, KCP could get (the Defensive Player of the Game chain) every night,” Malone said. “No, really. We should actually name it the KCP-DPOG and give it to everybody else.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- Malone believes Reggie Jackson‘s playoff experience will be big for the Nuggets, according to Sean Keeler of The Denver Post. “When I think about Reggie, what gives me confidence is, this guy has been there and done that,” Malone said. “(The) 2021 Western Conference finals, where he was phenomenal — just go back and look at the game logs and the productivity and the efficiency. So you’re getting a veteran who understands he’s coming to a really good team. (There’s) role acceptance, role definition.” The veteran guard, who played high school ball in Colorado Springs, was recently signed by Denver after being traded by the Clippers and bought out by the Hornets.
- At his introductory press conference, Jackson explained why he chose the Nuggets over other suitors. “Great team at the right age right now. They’re playing really good ball. The backup point guard role was kind of open. I figured that, and coming home, was definitely appealing,” Jackson said, per Vinny Benedetto of Gazette.com. “It just all matched up once I sat down and thought about it. I’m just very blessed to be able to go from the sixth team in the West to the best team in the West.”
- Jamal Murray missed his sixth straight game Wednesday against Dallas due to right knee inflammation, notes Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports (via Twitter). The team is being cautious with Murray, Malone said, adding that the guard isn’t confident enough in the knee to play yet. Malone didn’t sound overly concerned about it, but the Nuggets aren’t taking it lightly either, according to Wind. “You’re always concerned when a guy misses five-to-six games in a row,” Malone said. The Nuggets don’t play again until next Thursday, so we’ll see if another week of rest will aid Murray’s recovery. The 25-year-old missed all of last season with a torn ACL in his left knee.
Atlantic Notes: Finney-Smith, Bridges, Embiid, Poeltl
The Grizzlies reportedly offered four first-round picks for Mikal Bridges, but he wasn’t the only new Nets addition that drew interest from rival teams. Sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post (subscriber link) that “multiple teams offered two firsts” for Dorian Finney-Smith, who was acquired from Dallas in the Kyrie Irving trade.
A strong, versatile defensive player and solid three-point shooter (36% career), Finney-Smith is in the first year of a four-year, $55.6MM extension, so he’s under contract long term (the final year is a player option for $15.4MM).
Here’s more from the Atlantic:
- Bridges exploded for a career-high 45 points (on 17-of-24 shooting) during Wednesday’s victory over Miami, as Mark W. Sanchez of The New York Post relays. “If we keep learning and growing together, I feel like we’ll be a scary team that teams don’t want to play against,” said Bridges, who stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. “Defense comes first before anything.” The Nets lost major star power at the trade deadline, but Bridges has given the team hope that he can take his game to a new level, Sanchez writes.
- Sixers star Joel Embiid might not compete in the All-Star Game, as he’s been dealing with a nagging foot injury, according to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com. “I’m not sure, I’m not healthy,” Embiid said when asked if he’d play in Sunday’s game. “I haven’t been healthy for the past three weeks or month, I was just trying to get to the All-Star break without missing games and stuff. I feel like I’ve reached the point where I really need to follow the doctor’s advice and miss, back then he said I should have been sitting for two weeks. Going to see how the next few days go and go from there.”
- The Raptors re-acquired center Jakob Poeltl, whom the team drafted ninth overall in 2016, ahead of last week’s trade deadline. In his third game back with the Raptors, he became just the second player in NBA history (David Robinson is the other) to record 30-plus points without making a free throw or a three-pointer while also registering at least five blocked shots, writes Doug Smith of The Toronto Star. The Austrian big man recorded 30 points (on 15-of-17 shooting), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and six blocks in Tuesday’s victory over Orlando.
D’Angelo Russell, Lakers Have Mutual Interest In Extension
The Lakers acquired D’Angelo Russell from Minnesota last week as part of a three-team blockbuster trade that also sent Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to Los Angeles.
Russell is playing on a $31.38MM expiring contract and could hit free agency this summer. However, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Countdown (YouTube link) that there’s mutual interest between Russell and the Lakers in discussing a contract extension.
Based on Wojnarowski’s wording, those conversations have yet to begin, but there’s an expectation the two sides will come together in the coming weeks and months.
The Lakers don’t view Russell as a mere rental player, with Wojnarowski noting that they gave up their 2027 first-round pick (top-four protected) and a couple of second-rounders as part of the deal. There’s hope that the 26-year-old could be a “solution at that point guard position,” Wojnarowski said.
Russell is having a strong year from an efficiency standpoint, posting a .465/.387/.853 shooting slash line for a career-high .601 true shooting percentage. Through 56 games (32.9 MPG) with the Wolves and Lakers, he’s averaging 17.8 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 6.1 APG and 1.1 SPG.
In other Lakers-related news, LeBron James (foot/ankle) returned from a three-game absence on Wednesday, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Head coach Darvin Ham used a new starting lineup featuring Russell, Beasley, James, Vanderbilt and Anthony Davis.