Lakers News: How LA Intends To Approach Possible D'Angelo Russell Contract Extension
Other than avoiding an official retirement announcement from LeBron James — which would rock the worlds of not only the Lakers but the NBA as a whole — finding a solution at point guard seems to be among the Lakers' top priorities.
After trading one Russell (Westbrook) for another, the Lakers welcomed D'Angelo Russell back to Los Angeles for his second stint with the purple and gold.
While the former No. 2 overall pick started all but one of the 34 games he played for LA, it was the end of the season that saw the worst of Russell.
In the Western Conference finals against the Denver Nuggets, Russell averaged just 6.3 points on 32% shooting. As the Lakers returned home looking to avoid going down 3-0, which no team (not even the Boston Celtics) has overcome, Russell turned the ball over 3 times in 20 minutes of play.
"I know I'm dangerous on the floor," Russell said Feb. 10 at the Lakers' practice facility.
(Via ESPN)
Needless to say, Russell's end of season performance likely left a bit of a sour taste in the Lakers' mouths.
With Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura entering restricted free agency, Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has expressed his interest in retaining the promising talent LA has accrued.
"I would say this resoundingly clear: Our intentions are to keep our core of young guys together," Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka said Tuesday before exit interviews.
(Via ESPN)
However in doing so, the Lakers would likely make an extension offer to Russell, who equates time spent playing together to the Nuggets success.
"I think that team, there's not really a lot of holes in their system," Russell said of the Nuggets. "It also shows the league what a year of chemistry can do for an organization and for a team and coaching staff."
(Via ESPN)
If the Lakers decide to let Russell walk, they could give up some of their young talent, namely Malik Beasly, Mo Bamba and Jarred Vanderbilt, in a trade for an accomplished point guard.
Dallas' Kyrie Irving, Toronto's Fred VanVleet or Atlanta's Dejounte Murray could all be feasible trades considering the Lakers' young talent and upcoming draft picks.
However, pursuing a star point guard would mean moving on from Reaves and Hachimura — two players who exploded in the postseason and stole the hearts of many Laker fans.
If Pelinka is intent on keeping the duo, it could mean resigning Dennis Schroder or giving Russell another chance to show how "dangerous" he can be.
