D'Angelo Russell is running it back with the Lakers.
After waiting out the first wave of NBA free agency signings, former Buckeye D'Angelo Russell agreed to a new deal on Saturday afternoon. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Russell will ink a two-year, $37 million contract to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Free agent G DAngelo Russell has agreed on a two-year, $37 million contract to stay with the Los Angeles Lakers, co-heads of @CAA_Basketball Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz along with Antonio Russell tell ESPN. Deal has player option. Lakers secure their starting point guard. pic.twitter.com/ScrZHD7Jio
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2023
The Lakers used the No. 2 overall pick on Russell in the 2015 NBA Draft, and he was viewed as the team's most essential building block after Kobe Bryant's retirement. His first stint in Los Angeles was full of encouraging flashes on the court, but the distractions that he created for the franchise ultimately led to his exit. Russell was shipped to Brooklyn, where he emerged as one of the better point guards in the game. He made the All-Star team in 2018-19, before being sent to the Warriors the next year as part of the Kevin Durant trade.
The roller coaster ride was not finished. A half-year run in Golden State ended with Russell being dealt to the Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins. The veteran point guard found a home in Minnesota until last season, when he was flipped to the Lakers at the trade deadline.
Russell made an immediate impact upon arriving for his second run with the organization. In danger of missing the postseason, Los Angeles went 18-9 to close the year - with Russell averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists on fantastic shooting splits - and qualified for the play-in tournament. After defeating Russell's old friends on the Timberwolves, the seventh-seeded Lakers upset the Grizzlies and Warriors to reach the Western Conference Finals. Russell was crucial to the team's success, injecting a seemingly joyless bunch with fun and energy.
ICE IN HIS VEINS
— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2023
DAngelo Russell comes up huge to lead the Lakers to Round 2!
31 PTS | 5-9 3PM pic.twitter.com/fEuOxjjKaN
But the 27-year-old wasn't as effective against the Nuggets, and slipped out of a starting spot by the end of the series. He'll now look to regain his previous form in a crowded Los Angeles backcourt.
Though the Lakers let Dennis Schröder walk, they added Gabe Vincent in free agency and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino in the draft. Austin Reaves is back in the fold, as well; a sizable role is still available for Russell, but he will have to earn it.
