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Dave McMenamin, ESPN Staff Writer
D’Angelo Russell agreed to a two-year, $37 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, CAA basketball co-heads Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz along with Antonio Russell told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.
The deal includes a player option for a second year.
Originally drafted by the Lakers with the No. 2 pick in 2015, Russell returned to LA in February as part of a three-team deal between the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Utah Jazz to replace the outgoing Russell Westbrook. Coming from the Wolves.
The 27-year-old Russell averaged 17.4 points on 48.4% from the field and 41.4% from 3 with 6.1 assists in 17 regular season games after the trade. According to ESPN Stats and Information Research, the Lakers went 12–5 in those games with a plus-7.3 point per game differential.
His numbers dropped to 13.3 points on 42.6% shooting overall (31% from 3) and 4.6 assists in the postseason, and he struggled strongly in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets, averaging 6.8 points on 32.2% shooting in the series. From and lost. starting position in Game 4.
Nevertheless, before the drop-off against Denver, LA won 18 of 24 games in the regular season during the play-in tournament and the first two rounds of the playoffs, with Russell providing the shooting and playmaking alongside LeBron James. Anthony Davis.
The Lakers retained Russell, Rui Hachimura and Austin Reeves, leaving behind core members of the team that reached the Western Conference Finals.
The Lakers also agreed to deals with guards Gabe Vincent, forwards Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish, and big man Jackson Hayes, giving the team more depth across the board.