Will we see again D'Angelo Russell in the Lakers jersey? This is the question we asked ourselves a year ago, then last February, and we are asking ourselves again after the elimination in the first round against the Nuggets.
While Trae Young's name circulates in the aisles of the Crypto.com Arena, D'Angelo Russell once again stood out for his irregularity. Judge for yourself: 6 out of 20 on shots in Game 1; 7 of 11 from 3-point range in Game 2; 0 points in Game 3; 21 points in Game 4 and finally 2 of 10 3-pointers in last night's game.
But the Lakers leader has a general vision of his season, and he has never been so skilled at 3-points and he has never lost so few balls. What… to braid our laurels after this elimination.
A positive outcome for negotiating a bigger salary
“It’s a great season from D’Angelo” he blurted out speaking of him in the third person. “I went through ups and downs and never let it affect me. When I look at my phone, I see my family and friends telling me they are proud of me. I don’t need anything else.”
Like LeBron James, D'Angelo Russell has a “player option” to test the market this summer. A priori, he will give up on this second season at 18.7 million dollars, since he believes he has proven his value.
“I'm not going to say that I don't think about it… But when I signed my contract last summer, I knew what situation I was putting myself in… Today, I find myself in this situation with a little leverage in my favor, and I will try to take advantage of it” he warns.
Player option : possibility for a player to activate (or not) the last year of his contract, in order to end his lease or become a “free agent” one year in advance.
