NBA – Criticized, a Lakers star on the move? An insider’s cash update

No place in the NBA is guaranteed, and even less so when you are a member of a team with goals as high as those of the Lakers. The future of a star of the franchise has been debated for several weeks and was recently the subject of an update.

After a mixed start to the season, the machine finally seems to be launched. Currently posting a record of 14 wins for 11 losses, the Lakers rank 6th in the West. However, the gap remains minimal between each of the teams at the top of the table. Furthermore, to highlight the current form of the Purple & Gold, we could mention their title recently acquired during the In-Season Tournament.

This historic success and this situation are largely due to the highly applauded performances of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Other players on the squad were also entitled to numerous praise from observers. On the other hand, criticism is less tender towards D’Angelo Russell, whose performances are divisive. As a result, his future in LA has been called into question by some analysts and supporters.

D’Angelo Russell soon on the transfer market?

We gotta trade D’Angelo Russell bro

— Dre Sinatra (@DRESINATRA) December 8, 2023

We need to trade D’Angelo Russell

If some fans are so incisive towards the leader, it is in particular because of his irregularity. As proof, he only scored 7 points (3/9 shooting) against Dallas this Tuesday. We are then a long way from his 35-point match against the Pistons a few days ago. But despite this lack of consistency, Sam Amico of Hoops Wire assures that the Lakers are not going out of their way to trade him:

Rival executives view D’Angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura as top trade candidates for the Lakers, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. (…) However, Russell is having a great season and the Lakers are not working to get rid of him. It’s quite the opposite.

Contrary to rumors dating from a month ago, which suggested that DLo had a good chance of packing his bags, his managers do not seem in a hurry to bargain for him. It must be said that with his 16.2 points and 6.3 assists on average, he is a great ally for LeBron and AD. However, it would not appear to be indestructible according to Amico either:

The Lakers could trade him in a good deal, or at least would be more likely to trade him than other of their players. And they may well be forced to do so if they want to get a consistent third scorer.

Observers and fans alike struggle to agree on D’Angelo Russell’s performance given his irregularity. It seems that this uncertainty is also observed in the Lakers offices, where his case remains difficult to read.