In the final days of 2024, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a trade with the Brooklyn Nets that sent D’Angelo Russell, along with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks, to New York in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Months have passed since that moment, and now the guard has revealed details about his time with the Lakers.
“I was a little traumatized there,” Russell said in an interview with HoopsHype, reflecting on his experience with the Lakers. This sentiment is understandable, considering that he was traded to Brooklyn in both of his stints with Los Angeles. However, the previous time, in 2017, occurred during the offseason, while the more recent move happened in the middle of the campaign.
That challenging experience has led Russell to appreciate his current situation with the Nets. “It’s great. I would never take it for granted, coming from where I came from,” he acknowledged. “To be here and get the opportunity to just be me, where there’s familiarity as well, is just icing on the cake.”
D’Angelo also discussed the importance of Brooklyn’s team-oriented culture. “I’ve been on so many different teams where the team’s not a priority,” he said. “To be here, the team is everything from every aspect you can think of. It’s team-oriented. As a team, we win. As a team, we lose. To be engraved into that and just fit in is a good feeling.”
D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets in action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center on January 04, 2025.
Russell’s Los Angeles experience
D’Angelo Russell’s second and most recent stint with the Los Angeles Lakers was far from ideal. He arrived in the middle of the 2022-23 season, traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and during his early days with the Lakers, he posted solid performances, averaging 17.4 and 18.0 points per game in his first two campaigns.
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However, as time progressed, things did not go well for Russell, nor for the Lakers. When he left for Brooklyn, he was averaging a career-low 12.4 points per game, and the Lakers were struggling as well.
Since Russell’s departure, the Lakers have significantly improved, climbing in the Western Conference standings and positioning themselves as serious title contenders. While the arrival of Luka Doncic has been a key factor in that resurgence, coach JJ Redick recently credited the trade that included Russell, emphasizing that Dorian Finney-Smith has played a crucial role in the team’s improvement: “He’s brought a level of toughness. The spirit to want to defend. Guys have responded well to who he is as a player, a teammate.”
Russell understands his place with the Nets
In the same interview with HoopsHype, D’Angelo Russell reflected on his current role in the NBA and within the Nets. “I’m at the point in my career where I’m not going out and scoring 25 points every night and wowing with numbers,” he acknowledged. “It’s a point where I’m trying to gravitate toward doing it the right way, and how I can contribute to winning is my priority.”
