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D'Angelo Russell scored his team's first 11 points in front of a fawning Crypto.com Arena crowd on Saturday night, playing a key role in the Los Angeles Lakers' blowout Game 3 win over the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers now hold a 2-1 lead over the defending champions in the Western Conference Semifinals, owning home-court advantage as the series continues.
No one would be shocked if Stephen Curry and company came back to beat the Lakers in the most volatile matchup of the second round. What would definitely raise some eyebrows no matter how this season ends, though, is Russell heading elsewhere in free agency this summer after his successful stint in Los Angeles.
Russell wants to return to the Lakers going forward. But he also thought he'd previously found a home with the Minnesota Timberwolves, making the veteran floor general skeptical of his future even as he helps the Lakers chase another title.
“I would love to stay here, but I would have loved to be in Minnesota too. So wherever my feet are, that’s where I’m gonna be,” Russell told Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Los Angeles doesn't have much cap flexibility this summer. Rob Pelinka and company will be extremely hard-pressed to replace Russell's salary slot if they opt to go a different direction in free agency, likely forced to complete a complicated sign-and-trade to bring back an impact player of similar contractual value.
Russell's defensive issues keep him from being a perfect fit with the Lakers, but he can clearly co-exist alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, even making their lives easier offensively. Expect that dynamic, realities of Los Angeles' outside spending capabilities and the team's recent success to lead to Russell's return for 2023-24 and beyond.
After his stint with the Timberwolves went up in flames, though, D'Angelo Russell knows the ball ultimately lies in the Lakers' free agency court.
“They’ve got a decision to make, don’t they?” he said to The Athletic. “So we’ll see.”
