The Lakers and D'Angelo Russell are working to keep the guard in Los Angeles with potential contract terms revealed on Friday.
According to Jake Fisher, the Lakers and D'Angelo Russell could potentially end up agreeing to a contract of around $40 million over the next two years. No deal is set in stone but this could be the framework of a deal.
D'Angelo Russell was acquired by the Lakers at the trade deadline by the Timberwolves. He was very good for the team during the regular season but struggled heavily in the postseason. It got to the point where he was basically unplayable.
This was the second straight postseason where he was unreliable in the playoffs. This time it was due to the fact that he couldn't create any offense. As previously stated, his defense is terrible. When Russell's shots are not falling, it makes it extremely to play him in the playoffs.
What would re-signing D'Angelo Russell mean for the Lakers?
This would be a perfect contract for the Lakers. Yes, in the playoffs Russell has struggled, which will end up making his value on the trade market a lot less. Still, $20 million per year is a steal. D'Angelo Russell would end up being a salary that the Lakers can use in trades to make a deal.
If L.A. were to use future first-round picks in a deal between teams, this would be a good contract for any team to take. Yes, Russell could not end up playing in the playoffs but $20 million dollars is a solid price for any top bench talent in this league. The contract may even be non-guaranteed in the second year of the deal, according to Fisher.
They could also end up keeping Russell. This current contract would allow him to split starting minutes with Jalen Hood-Schifino in the playoffs. This would be a less-than-ideal situation as JHS is a rookie who was not a lottery pick but this would be the idea if they were unable to get another point guard.
The Lakers could look to upgrade by adding one more veteran point guard via a minimum contract. This would be a very weird ball-handler rotational but it might work due to the fact that none of these players would be expected to do so much.
