The Lakers look like a completely different team after the NBA trade deadline. Rob Pelinka took his time, but eventually, he pulled off enough moves to significantly improve the roster.
D'Angelo Russell is one of the many players that landed in Los Angeles this month, and it's certainly special for him given his past with the team. The guard had been selected second overall in the 2015 draft, but was traded only two years later as he fell short of expectations.
However, the Ohio State product eventually won a second chance with the Purple and Gold. Team legend Magic Johnson, who led the front office when Russell was sent to Brooklyn, believes the guard has grown a lot these years.
Lakers news: D'Angelo Russell has Magic Johnson's blessing
“I think D’Angelo has really grown and matured," Johnson said, via Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today. "He can score the basketball. He can pass the basketball. He doesn’t turn it over a lot. That’s what I like about him, too.
"That pick-and-roll with Anthony Davis is going to be special. You have to pick your poison for what you try to do whether it’s Russell coming off the PnR or Anthony Davis rolling to the basket and they’ll have some more time playing with LeBron. If the Lakers can get in, and I think they will, nobody is going to want to play them. That’s for sure.”
The Lakers look much better since the trade deadline, and Russell is one of the reasons behind their improvement. The team has plenty of work to do in its playoff push, though, so we'll se how impactful Russell and the other additions can be.