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D'Angelo Russell always knew he'd make his return to Los Angeles. The 28-year-old point guard was a highly touted No. 2 overall draft pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only was Russell a top pick, he was expected to be the face of the franchise following Kobe Bryant's retirement, with the 2015-16 season being Bryant's last.
However, that didn't end up coming to fruition, as Russell spent just two seasons with the Lakers before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets prior to the start of the 2017-18 season. Russell would eventually find his footing in the league as a go-to scorer and All-Star guard. He was named to the 2018-19 Eastern Conference All-Star team after averaging 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game.
Russell would go on to be traded twice more, spending stints with the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves before finally landing back in Los Angeles midway through the 2022-23 season. While he didn't expect to play for the Lakers again while still in his prime, he did see it happening before the end of his playing career.
“I did — I did see it coming,” says Russell in a one-on-one interview with ClutchPoints. “I had no plans to do that. I never thought they would want me. Obviously, it's a big franchise in win-now mode and if you wanted me, you wouldn't have shipped me out. I didn't think they would double dip, but I did see me in a Lakers uniform again. I didn't know if it was going to be on my way to retirement, or just going through that storm again of being a Laker on my way out.”
D'Angelo Russell Enjoying Second Stint With Lakers
Russell's second tour with the Lakers has gone a lot better than his first stint. No longer tasked with being the face of the franchise, the 10th-year guard enjoys a solidified spot in the starting lineup while deferring to LeBron James and Anthony Davis. With that being said, he remains a key and integral part of the lineup, averaging 18.0 points per game last season, the third-highest mark on the team.
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Furthermore, his contributions as a third scoring option towards the end of the 2022-23 season played a major role in the Lakers making a late-season run to the playoffs, eventually resulting in a Western Conference Finals appearance. The Lakers went 12-5 in his 17 regular season games during the 2022-23 season.
“It happened sooner rather than later and I couldn't have asked for a better chance, a better time to be here,” says Russell. “Obviously, the players that are here, the new regime and the new coaches and everything that's going on, I'm just happy I get to be a part of it because I believe in it.”
Although Russell has taken more of a backseat early on in the 2024-25 season — he's averaging 10.8 points per game, fifth on the team and the lowest scoring average of his career — he remains the team's starting point guard and ranks second on the team with 5.8 assists per game.
Russell has previously mentioned that he has no objectives for himself this season — he just wants to remain healthy and he believes the Lakers will be in a “good” spot by the time the postseason rolls around with the veteran guys and new coaching staff that they have. It's worth noting that his future in Los Angeles is uncertain given that he's on a contract that will expire after this season.
The veteran point guard and the Lakers will look to snap a two-game skid when they take on the Toronto Raptors in a road matchup on Friday night.
