It’s hard to think of another player who’s scripted a quicker turnaround this season than Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell.
In December, Russell came off the bench and averaged 10.2 points while shooting a mediocre 32 percent from three. His shot attempts had slipped to under 10 for the first time in his career, and the widespread belief was that Russell was about to be traded by the Lakers — the team that drafted him second overall in 2015 — for the second time. During that stretch, Russell was often seen pouting on the bench and was noticeably unhappy with his role on the team.
Since the start of the new year, however, Russell has regained both his mojo and a spot in Darvin Ham’s starting lineup. After averaging 22.7 points at an impressive 45.9 percent clip from three in January, Russell has continued his good form in February, helping Lakers start the month with a 3-0 record.
In the wake of Russell’s resurgence, three Eastern Conference teams have expressed interest in trading him, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
“Russell’s name has been mentioned in trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks in recent weeks, sources told ESPN, while the point guard managed to play some of the best basketball of his career,” McMenamin wrote in his trade deadline preview article.
Earlier, there were reports of the Atlanta Hawks being reluctant to acquire Russell in a trade for Dejounte Murray, instead looking for a third team to take on his contract. The fact that McMenamin mentioned the Hawks as a potential suitor for Russell could be a sign of the Lakers and Hawks cooking up something ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
While Russell has a player option worth $18.7 million for next season, there has been chatter of the guard declining it and entering free agency — with hopes of cashing in on his strong play. As such, the team that trades for him could acquire a one-year rental.
