D’Angelo Russell makes decision on his Lakers contract

May 6, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) moves the ball up court against the Golden State Warriors during the first half in game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell intends to exercise his player option for the 2024-2025 season, the final year of his contract, which will net him $18.7 million, reports Dave McMenamin of ESPN .

Russell’s decision comes one day before the NBA’s opt-in deadline.

“I love what JJ is about and I really see myself thriving under his guidance to help win at a high level,” Russell told ESPN on Friday night.

The 28-year-old Russell, who the Lakers selected second overall in the 2015 NBA Draft, averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds over 76 regular season games (69 starts) last season. He shot .456/.415/.828. while averaging 32.7 minutes per contest.

Despite one of his best regular seasons to date, Russell struggled in the playoffs and during a Western Conference final against the Denver Nuggets, he was removed from the starting five.

Even with Russell opting in, it doesn’t guarantee that he will remain with the Lakers. They talked with several teams about trading him last season and he could, once again, become trade bait in 2024-2025.

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