The 2023-24 NBA season has been one of the best in the career of Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell. While some of his numbers aren’t as gaudy as when he made the All-Star team during the 2018-19 campaign with the Brooklyn Nets, Russell has established himself as one of the premier shooting playmakers in the league.
Russell is on pace to join Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard as the only players in NBA history to make 200+ 3-pointers while shooting 40+ percent from 3-point range and handing out 400+ assists. He has embraced his role in Los Angeles and excelled in it, becoming a reliable third option behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
However, the question remains; will Russell remain in that role beyond this season? During the 2023 NBA offseason, he signed a two-year, $36 million deal with the Lakers. While the first season was guaranteed for $17,307,693, the second year of the contract was a player option.
Will Russell exercise that option and remain with the Lakers or decline it and hit unrestricted free agency again? ESPN’s NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes that Russell will opt for the latter.
“I think almost certainly he will not pick up the option,” said Brian Windhorst on his podcast. “You work your whole life to be coming off a great season and being unrestricted.”
While Russell has certainly thrived in his time with the Lakers, his second stint with the team, the NBA is a business at the end of the day. Russell should be looking to maximize his worth during free agency this summer and seeing what kind of offers are out there.
It would not be surprising if he was able to land a multi-year deal that pays north of $20 million annually. He has been playing that well this season, taking his efficiency to another level while showing improvements defensively as well.
Russell is a good fit for what the Lakers are looking to do, but there are plenty of teams around the NBA who could benefit from adding a player of his caliber to the mix. Still only 28 years old, Russell is just hitting his prime and should have several more productive seasons ahead of him.
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