The Los Angeles Lakers have played their final game before the NBA trade deadline on February 8. All eyes will be on the Lakers to see if they make a move in the next two days, especially concerning D’Angelo Russell, who’s been in trade rumors since October.
Russell, who led the Lakers in scoring for their win over the Hornets tonight, candidly responded to people asking him about trade rumors.
“I don’t care, at all… I can’t control that my contract makes sense to be traded, so, just play. Can’t control that, once again, I don’t care.”
D’Lo was further asked about the lack of an implied no-trade clause in his contract given it was a 1+1 deal with a player option. D’Lo made it clear he understood the business side of the matter and was willing to give up that no-trade ability for greater personal freedom as a free agent.
“That was something new that was implemented into the contracts. I think it worked out for both parties. Obviously, letting a player have that kind of allows you to control your own destiny going into the summer or whatnot, right? So being able to do that, I think, that was a big part of my decision. I’m here for two years — this is my second year coming back, right? After my first year. And to be back is something that’s hard to accept, too, cause you never know who wants to be here and what’s next. So, to be able to control my own destiny no matter what’s going on, I think as a player that’s something that you want.”
Having an NTC and holding the Lakers hostage over a deadline day deal would hurt his value as an asset and burn bridges with the Lakers and possible future teams as well. He wants to be a Laker, not by wielding contractual power, but because he deserves it.
Have We Seen D’Angelo Russell’s Last Game As A Laker?
Russell scored 28 points against the Hornets tonight as the Lakers pulled off a win despite being thoroughly outplayed in the second half. Russell has averaged 22.8 points and 6.4 assists over the last 15 games, making a very strong case for the Lakers to see out the season with him.
His inconsistency is an issue, but D’Lo has been self-motivated to perform at a high level and do the right things as a teammate for the Lakers.
Russell’s overall season averages are 17.3 points and 6.2 assists. It is an incredibly tough decision to move on from him, as the margin of error with giving up Russell along with additional future assets for a player like Dejounte Murray is high. There is no guarantee that Murray fits into the Lakers system, possibly causing even more uncertainty heading into the final quarter of the season.
The Lakers are better off hoping their current group can find the form that helped them make a Western Conference Finals appearance last season than making short-sighted trades. If the season ends badly, the Lakers are perfectly positioned to make a splash in the summer, especially if LeBron James ends up leaving to play with Bronny James.
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