D’Angelo Russell Expected To Leave Lakers For Eastern Contender

The Los Angeles Lakers are bringing their season to an end and they are already making plans for the offseason. They didn’t make any moves at the trade deadline in February and it seemed like the roster was fine as it is. Will this change in the summer? D’Angelo Russell has a player option for the 2024-25 NBA season and a chance to leave the Lakers.

Russell’s performance improved in the last few months and he became a key player in the gameplan. The NBA veteran may be looking for ways to secure his NBA future and sign a big deal. LeBron James is in a situation to discuss his next deal, leaving little to no room for other contracts. The Lakers will probably handle his extension before signing anyone else.

“At this rate, it feels more likely than not he’ll opt out of this deal and go searching for a big payday in free agency,” Zach Buckley from Bleacher Report wrote on April 11. The Lakers, who could be focused on higher-profile guards, may not be able to offer as many touches or as much money as he could find elsewhere.”

Russell can leave the Lakers for a bigger deal

Several teams make sense for Russell and the Orlando Magic are definitely on his list. Russell averages 18.2 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game which makes him an ideal fit for the improved Orlando team. The Magic has enough money to work with in the summer. They can easily offer him up to $30 million and the Lakers would probably take a step back.

Russell is an excellent player, but things looked a bit shaky at one point of the season. His numbers dropped and Russell ended up on the bench. The Lakers lost too many games in this stretch, and Russell returned to the starting lineup after 10 contests. He learned his lesson and provided better performance.

The Lakers went up in Western Conference standings and Russell hasn’t skipped a beat. This will probably play a big role in the signing of his next deal.