SUMMARY
- D'Angelo Russell is on the trade block for the Los Angeles Lakers.
- The Raptors, Hawks and Nets are all interested in acquiring DLo.
With the NBA trade deadline only a couple of days from coming to an end, D’Angelo Russell continues to be on the trading block for the Los Angeles Lakers. As Laker nation should certainly be able to recall, their team traded for D’Angelo midway through last season. By adding him, Jarred Vanderbilt, and other players to their roster, the team was able to make it all the way to the Western Conference Finals despite ending the season as a 7th seed.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers have been playing much better over the past few games, the fact remains that they still have a lot of work to do in order to establish themselves as legitimate title contenders. As a result, recent reports reveal that several teams across the league have engaged in trade discussions with the Lakers regarding DLo.
The Los Angeles Lakers haven’t changed their stance about trading D’Angelo Russell
While D’Angelo Russell did not play as well as expected for the Lakers to start off the 2023-2024 NBA season, he has been playing much better in recent times. Over the past 10 games, Russell has averaged 23 points, 6.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds. He also recorded a team-high 28 points in the Lakers’ last game against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Raptors, Nets, and Hawks are all interested in acquiring Rusell
According to recent reports, multiple teams across the league such as the Toronto Raptors, Brooklyn Nets, and Atlanta Hawks have engaged in discussions with the Lakers regarding DLo. Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets and Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks have also frequently been involved in trade rumors.
The Toronto Raptors are the most recent team to be involved in discussions about trading for D’Angelo Russell, per @mcten
“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… pic.twitter.com/ptt6IgraQs
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 6, 2024
Therefore, it is certainly possible for the Lakers to find an appealing trade package with one of those teams. However, DLo’s recent increase in production certainly puts the Lakers in a tough spot. They have to make a decision between relying on him to continue his increased level of play or bringing in new players who have no chemistry with the team. Fans are left wondering if the Lakers will be able to make good trade moves.