Report: D’Angelo Russell Open To Returning To Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers and D’Angelo Russell didn’t have the best ending of their story. Magic Johnson had nothing good to say about Russell after sending him to the Brooklyn Nets. Johnson is now out of the front office, and their relationship sort of improved. The Lakers have now added LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Russell is now an All-Star which gives him a power to choose his next destination in free agency.

Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report believes that Russell is interested in re-joining the Lakers.

“Los Angeles may have only $24 million to spend if Pelinka cannot get the Pelicans or the Atlanta Hawks—who will receive the No. 4 pick (De’Andre Hunter) through a subsequent pending deal with New Orleans—to help the Lakers maximize their cap space. The two separate trades could be amalgamated into a multiteam swap, but only if the Pelicans and Hawks agree to participate. Adding the contracts of Mo Wagner, Isaac Bonga and Jemerrio Jones would help the Lakers execute the trade for Davis after they first use their cap room in free agency.”

However, things won’t be too easy. If Davis’ trade goes through on July 6th, and the Lakers are unable to find a third franchise to take on extra salary and convince AD to waive his trade bonus, then LA will have $23.8 in cap space. Russell’s max next year will probably come at $27.3 million. The Lakers don’t have enough money to get him at the moment.

Even if they get the money, they should think of the benefits of such move. Should the Lakers pay this much for Russell?

But, at the beginning of the previous season, Russell said he isn’t going anywhere.

“I plan on being in Brooklyn for a long time,” he said  couple of months ago. “You can forget about my Lakers days if I do it right. Make new headlines. That’s my goal.”

However, he did contact LeBron to get some advice.

“I actually reached out to LeBron this summer,” he told Bleacher Report. “I asked ‘What’s the best thing for becoming consistent?’ He’s like, ‘You have to be prepared mentally to go out and dominate every game, and then your teammates will follow that.’”

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