Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, 1, and Los Angeles Lakers forward Dalton Knecht stand during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in Memphis, Tennessee. (4 years old) (AP Photo/Nicky Boatman)
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers traded guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.
The Lakers sent forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn on Sunday.
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Russell averaged a career-low 12.4 points for the Lakers this season, having a reduced role under new coach JJ Redick, who had vowed to unleash the point guard’s formidable offensive game. Instead, Russell was removed from the starting lineup in early November and struggled to make a consistent impact as a backup, with his shooting percentage significantly lower than the previous two seasons back in Los Angeles.
Read: NBA: Lakers remove D’Angelo Russell from starting lineup vs. 76ers
At 6-foot-7, Finney-Smith isn’t a top scorer, but he’s a solid 3-and-D wing who fills a clear need for the Lakers. Los Angeles has been inconsistent with its wing play and lacks effective defenders at key positions during Jared Vanderbilt’s extended injury absence, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1. Not yet.
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Finney-Smith averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and shot a career-high 43.5 percent from 3-point range this season with the Nets, who acquired him from Dallas in the Kyrie Irving trade in February 2023. Finney-Smith was limited to five games this month due to an ankle sprain and calf bruise, but played 27 minutes in Friday’s game against San Antonio.
“We would like to thank D’Angelo for his second stint with us. We celebrated some great moments and accomplishments on the court together,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We are excited to add the physicality, toughness and elite shooting that Dorian Finney-Smith brings to our core. We also value Shake Milton’s playmaking. We look forward to seeing both players on the court.”
Read: Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell on trade rumors: ‘Really, humbly, I don’t care’
Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) celebrates a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, March 8, 2024 in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 123-122. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Redick and Finney-Smith were Mavericks teammates during the 2020-21 season, and Redick expressed admiration for Finney-Smith’s hard work.
Milton will be joining his sixth NBA team in less than two years, including his third trade in the past 11 months. This season, he is averaging 7.4 points and 2.4 assists as a reserve for the Nets.
Read: NBA: D’Angelo Russell ties Lakers’ season record in 3 seconds
Russell was traded from the Lakers to the Nets for the second time in his career. He also spent his first two NBA seasons in Los Angeles, where he was drafted in 2015 before transferring in 2017. Russell earned the only All-Star selection of his career during his two seasons in Brooklyn.
Russell has been traded five times in the past seven and a half years.
The 10-year pro returned to the team in February of that season and played with the Lakers until the 2023 Western Conference Finals, but was benched for the final game of the playoff series against Denver. Russell remained a fairly consistent scorer last year, setting a franchise record for most 3-pointers made in a season, but career-long issues with offensive inconsistency and defensive prowess led to Redick’s plans this year. It was out of place.
Read: NBA: Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell fined $15,000 for kicking game ball
With Russell’s departure, Gabe Vincent is the only true point guard left in the Lakers’ rotation, but LeBron James is often in the role of starting the offense.
The Lakers (18-13) won five of six games heading into visiting Cleveland on New Year’s Eve.
The trade continues a roster shakeup by the Nets, who traded former Lakers point guard Dennis Schroder to Golden State two weeks ago. Schroder was Brooklyn’s third leading scorer and Finney Smith was their fourth leading scorer.
The Nets are one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA this season, so Russell should have plenty of opportunities to make an impact on the offense. Brooklyn has lost three of four games heading into Sunday’s road game against Orlando.
Russell’s $18.7 million contract expires this summer, but Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option remaining for the 2025-26 season.
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Lewis was a second-round pick of the Lakers in 2023, but played in just 41 games over the past two seasons while transitioning to the G League.
