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The Los Angeles Lakers have been tied to multiple trades this season.
Notably, most potential trades were centered around D’Angelo Russell, who had struggled shortly after signing a new contract with the organization in the offseason.
However, with the former No. 2 pick playing some of the best basketball of his career as of late, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports it’s now less likely that the Lakers move on from him (via Evan Sidery).
D’Angelo Russell’s strong play as of late is making it less likely the Lakers trade him at the deadline, per @wojespn (https://t.co/GQdJuAYfW0).
Over the last three weeks, Russell is averaging 24.0 points and 6.5 assists while shooting 46.6% on threes. pic.twitter.com/4hDjbz6eKl
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) February 7, 2024
Russell had even lost his spot in the starting lineup, but he’s been on a roll since getting the nod again.
The Lakers were reportedly keeping tabs on fellow Klutch Sports client Dejounte Murray, and rumors state they tried to get the Atlanta Hawks or a third team to absorb Russell’s contract.
Of course, there will always be some concerns regarding Russell’s streaky shooting and inconsistency, and some believe he won’t be able to sustain this level of play for the remainder of the season, let alone the playoffs, where he’s usually struggled the most.
Russell has often talked about his desire to stay with the Lakers and get things right in Southern California this time around.
He was drafted by the organization but wasn’t put in a position to succeed, and he wasn’t mature enough, either.
Now, he’s looking to make it full circle and fulfill his destiny by trying to help the team win another NBA championship.
Whether his strong play will be enough for him to stay put for a little longer remains to be seen.
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