Upon signing his new contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, D'Angelo Russell reportedly became the first player under the NBA's new Collective Bargaining Agreement to waive an implied no-trade clause.

Russell, 27, who was an unrestricted free agent, officially re-signed with the Lakers on Friday. His two-year deal guarantees him $36 million, a player option for 2024-25, approximately $700,000 in incentives for each season, and, now, unencumbered trade eligibility, according to Spotrac's Keith Smith and Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

The old CBA included a provision that offered players on one-year deals who would lose Bird rights if traded a non-negotiable “implied no-trade clause.” In the recently-ratified CBA, players can waive the NTC when they sign their contracts (or later).

Russell's decision to waive his veto rights is a huge help to the Lakers. His production, age, shooting ability, and mid-size annual value ($18 million) renders him eminently tradable, should the Lakers feel the need to go in that direction before the deadline. Had Russell retained his veto rights, he could have dramatically hampered the Lakers' ability to make needle-moving in-season trades.

D'Angelo  Russell averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists on 41.4% 3-point shooting in 17 games for the Lakers after being acquired from Minnesota Timberwolves on February 9. Russell helped lead the Lakers to the conference finals, though his disappearance against the Denver Nuggets raised questions about his value on the open market and future with the franchise.

At exit interviews, Russell said he would “love” to return and see what the revamped Lakers could accomplish with a training camp and full season together.