Nick Young appears to take shots at former Lakers teammate D'Angelo Russell following his trade

As if being traded yet again in his NBA career wasn't tough enough, D'Angelo Russell now also appears to be the target of an online jab.

This rings true when looking at a social media post from his former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, Nick Young, which was shared shortly after the trade announcement.

"AND STAY OUT… Dnt bring yo a-- back to LA," wrote Young on X (formerly Twitter).

"D-Lo" heads to the Nets

While Young didn't explicitly mention Russell's name in the tweet, it's quite obvious who he was referring to. This becomes clear when considering not only the timing and wording of the tweet but especially due to their well-known past differences. Before delving into that, however, let's first focus on the present.

Lakers fans received a major trade announcement shortly after this year's Christmas. Their left-handed point guard, Russell, who has played 29 regular season games this year, will depart. According to NBA sources, the 28-year-old has been traded to the Brooklyn Nets — for the second time in his career — along with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks. In return, the "Purple and Gold" will receive Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

"D-Lo," a former one-time All-Star, arrived in Los Angeles on February 8, 2023, through a trade. Before this move, he had played for the Minnesota Timberwolves for almost exactly three years.

A betrayal that evidently lingers

Russell's recent stint in LA marked his second time with the California franchise. While his on-court performance wasn't always consistent, this time, at least, he managed to avoid a major controversy.

The same can't be said about his first tenure, which began after being drafted second overall in 2015. Not long after joining the team, "D-Lo" found himself embroiled in a significant scandal involving fellow Lakers player Young, who was engaged to Australian rapper Iggy Azalea at the time.

The controversy erupted when a video surfaced showing "Swaggy P" apparently admitting to infidelity with a 19-year-old woman—something that D'Angelo reportedly filmed without his knowledge during a casual conversation between them. Unsurprisingly, it later leaked, causing widespread backlash.

Young's then-fiancée broke off their engagement, citing a loss of trust. Her suspicions were later confirmed when security footage from their home revealed Nick's infidelity. While cheating is never acceptable, the 2018 NBA champion and others were upset with Russell's role in the incident. They viewed his actions as a betrayal of trust — a quality highly valued in NBA locker rooms.

It seems these feelings haven't faded all these years later, allegedly prompting Young to advise his former teammate not to return to the "City of Angels" this time around.