The Lakers will be back at it on Day 3 of NBA free agency, having already seen a number of their top options leave and becoming increasingly desperate to make a move that will keep them relevant in the Western Conference—where several teams have taken hits in recent days, potentially creating an opening for the Lakers to exploit.
However, one issue that the Lakers must address first and foremost is roster stability. The team was hoping that some of its end-of-benchers with player options on their contracts would opt out and create a bit more roster flexibility, but with the likes of Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, and Cam Reddish electing to stay on their current agreements, the The Lakers’ roster currently stands at 14.
One player still needs to re-up: LeBron James. There is no doubt that James will do so, which means the Lakers will need to unload one of its 15 players. That could come down to another player who opted into his contract, D’Angelo Russell, who could have gone free this summer but chose to stick with the $18.7 million option the Lakers gave him last year. Russell appears to be the most likely trade candidate among the Lakers’ assets. And he might make a return trip from Los Angeles to Brooklyn, where he was moved by the Lakers in 2017.
Could D’Angelo Russell return to Brooklyn?
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Russell is still a valuable asset in Brooklyn, and even if the Nets are in the early stages of rebuilding, Fischer believes that the Nets would welcome Russell’s return to the franchise for which he was named an All-Star in 2019.
“While LeBron James has signaled a willingness to accept a lower salary, sources said, in order to help Los Angeles add more quality to a roster that fell in the first round of the playoffs, time appears to be running out for how long James is prepared to wait before signing his next contract.
“For the Lakers to sign DeRozan, they may have to work with a third team to offload some salary, such as D’Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent,” sources added. Since the trade deadline, the Nets have been open to welcome Russell back to Barclays Center, according to sources.
Lakers Need a Lot of Cooperation.
James’ patience with the front office is significant because he has the option of demanding the full maximum pay on a three-year contract with the Lakers valued $162 million. Alternatively, he can accept less and allow the Lakers to sign another player with their midlevel exception. According to sources, James would only do so if the Lakers added aHigh-quality gamer with money.
However, high-quality players are coming off the board. Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan is the latest rumored candidate.
Still, trading Russell to Brooklyn and possibly pairing him with another player in a two-for-one deal is one method the Lakers could free up roster space to make a midlevel move. It would require the Nets’ consent. And James. And DeRozan, or whoever wins, will be included in that exception
Sean Deveney is an experienced sports reporter who covers the NBA, NFL, and MLB for Heavy.com. He has been writing for Heavy since 2019 and has over two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of seven nonfiction works, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More on Sean Deveney.
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