While the Lakers are already out of contention, discussions surrounding their offseason roster reshuffle remain prevalent and understandable. It’s remarkable how, as long as LeBron James hasn’t announced retirement, the Lakers continue to be one of the most talked-about teams in the league. The speculation regarding whether Frank Vogel will be sacked has sparked numerous debates within and outside the league, a treatment that other teams simply don’t receive. Apart from potential changes in the coaching position, the Lakers are also set for significant adjustments in their lineup. After two consecutive seasons of playoff defeats against the Nuggets, winning just one game in total, the Lakers’ minor tweaks seem futile. Rejecting $18 million, farewell Lakers, failing to meet the Purple and Gold’s standards, your Lakers tenure is coming to an end.
During this period, the most discussed topic concerning the Lakers’ lineup for the next season is the formation of a Big Three. Trae Young has become a very realistic option for the Lakers. Looking at various odds, if Trae Young indeed dons the Lakers’ jersey next season, it’s unlikely to come as a surprise to many. However, building a Big Three will undoubtedly require sacrifices for the Lakers. Clearly, when NBA insider Shams reported that the Lakers management will be very aggressive in the upcoming offseason, D’Angelo Russell’s departure became almost a certainty. Whether considering from Russell’s perspective or the Lakers’ side, Russell and the Lakers are no longer a good fit.
Not only Trae Young, but also players like Irving, Mitchell, and even Lavine, share a common characteristic—they are all ball-dominant guards who mostly play as point guards. Regardless of whom they pursue, it’s hard to imagine the Lakers pairing Russell with any of them, and keeping Russell as a bench player is impractical. Simply put, Russell’s departure from the Lakers seems inevitable. According to previous reports, Russell is unlikely to exercise his player option worth $18 million for the next season; he’s highly probable to decline the option and enter free agency again.
Additionally, in interviews, Russell has explicitly stated that he will make the most of his player option in the next season’s contract to pursue his maximum benefit. Although overall, Russell’s playoff performance can still be described as lackluster, on one hand, Russell’s performance was much better than his last encounter with the Nuggets; at least he had two commendable outings. On the other hand, looking solely at his regular-season performance, Russell deserves a salary of over $20 million. Frankly, without Russell’s contributions, the Lakers wouldn’t have made the playoffs. They wouldn’t have been able to defeat strong opponents like the Celtics and Bucks without LeBron or even AD. Russell has also stated that he hopes to play for a team that truly needs and trusts him. The Lakers have attempted to trade Russell multiple times this season; they hoped to exchange Russell for Dejounte Murray, which is no secret. Whenever there are trade rumors, Russell is always at the center, and he doesn’t need to continue bearing such pressure from the Lakers.
From the Lakers’ perspective, Russell has shown promise, but it’s not enough. The Lakers led the Nuggets by 20 points in Game 2; if not for AD’s foul trouble and the refereeing issues, the Lakers would have won. Coupled with the Lakers’ victory in Game 4, Russell performed well in both of these games. However, in the other three games, Russell’s performance was catastrophic.
In other words, the Lakers can only be considered a truly top-tier team when Russell performs exceptionally well. Now imagine replacing Russell with Trae Young. Replacing him with a guard who can consistently contribute over 20 points per game isn’t a problem defensively, as Russell’s defense isn’t intense. If the Lakers could have a guard who could guarantee consistent output throughout the entire series, don’t they truly have the capital to challenge the Nuggets? It’s clear that Russell’s drawback lies in his inconsistent performance, and the Lakers need their core ball handler to consistently perform well every night. Russell’s stability falls short of the mark.