3 best D'Angelo Russell destinations if Nets move on after Lakers trade

Yesterday at 11:33 PM

The Los Angeles Lakers, after much ado, finally decided to trade away D’Angelo Russell, sending him to another former team of his in the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that brought them back Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Russell simply did not fit on the Lakers squad anymore amid Austin Reaves’ continued emergence, which pushed the 28-year-old guard to a limited role off the bench.

Russell, however, could still be quite the helpful piece for a contending team, provided, of course, that he doesn’t play too big of a role. He can still make plays off the dribble, and for all of his flaws on the defensive end, he can still space the floor, as evidenced by his career 36.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc (he’s currently at 32.8 percent, however, on the season).

It doesn’t look like Russell is long for the Nets anyway; the Nets are playing for nothing but lottery balls come season’s end, and Russell, who is in the final year of his deal, will be worth more to a team looking to win ballgames.

Alas, he’s in the final year of his contract as well, so it’s not as if his value will be through the roof — which means that the Nets may not get much from shopping him on the trade market. Thus, a buyout could be in store for Russell, although he will be prohibited from signing with a team that’s currently above the first or second apron, which is something important to note in thought exercises like these.

With that said, here are three teams that could benefit from adding Russell should he secure a buyout from the Nets.

3. Sacramento Kings

The last thing this Kings team needs is another subpar defender, but a team with limited trade assets available to them cannot afford to be too choosy. Sacramento needs depth, and D’Angelo Russell certainly fits on the team should they decide to go all-in on a hyper-offensive approach.

Backcourt depth isn’t exactly a pressing area of need for the Kings. But among those currently below the first tax apron, they are one of the teams that are in need of a boost to rescue their season. Now, Russell won’t be playing a huge role at all for the Kings. He is an iffy fit at best in lineups with De’Aaron Fox and DeMar DeRozan. If anything, the 28-year-old combo guard will be helming the second unit.

2. Orlando Magic

The Magic have been doing an admirable job in keeping themselves afloat throughout the 2024-25 season despite missing Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for a sizable chunk of the campaign. Jalen Suggs has also dealt with a few injuries here and there, and overall, it’s amazing that Orlando has managed a 21-15 record — good for fourth in the East — even though scoring the basketball remains a huge struggle for the team.

Now, D’Angelo Russell isn’t exactly someone who will be coming in as a huge piece for the Magic in this hypothetical scenario. When Orlando gets everyone back from injuries, Russell won’t be playing a huge role. He’s a bit superfluous with Cole Anthony around as well.

But in case the Magic decide to sacrifice some of their depth in a blockbuster trade for a star, signing Russell to fill the role of primary backup point guard would do wonders for the team’s offensive production. They have the defenders anyway to help cover for whatever deficiencies Russell has on that end of the floor, and for the amount that it will take to sign him off the buyout market, bringing in someone who can catch fire at any given moment without having the pressure of producing every night will be a major boon.

1. Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have managed to turn someone who’s been discarded by the Lakers into a valuable, long-term contributor in the past. Can they strike twice if D’Angelo Russell ends up in free agency via buyout?

There is a bit of a struggle for the Clippers to create offense whenever James Harden takes a breather, and there is an overall lack of playmaking shot-creators on the team. Russell would give the Clippers quite the capable backup behind Harden — a huge upgrade over Kevin Porter Jr., who, despite having his moments, has struggled shooting the basketball all season long.

Russell could also fit in lineups alongside Harden, the recently-returned Kawhi Leonard, and Norman Powell in hyper-offense units. The Clippers’ offense ranks 23rd in points scored per 100 possessions, and adding Russell should at least give them a higher offensive floor on a game-to-game basis.

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