Los Angeles Lakers witnessed a miraculous turnaround towards the last stretch of the 2022-23 NBA season. The team leapfrogged from 11th to 7th position in the Western Conference to secure a place in the playoffs. In fact, LA turned into a completely different force during the postseason as they made it to the conference finals before being brutally swept by Denver.
Nevertheless, the Lakers concluded the tournament on a positive note. The biggest positive that came out was the new look roster. Rob Pelinka had finally cracked the code to a perfect and balanced roster. While it came late last season, Pelinka made sure to retain the roster before the next season kicks off. However, a key piece of the new look roster could part ways soon, which should cause worry to Hollywood.
NBA Analysts Predict D’Angelo Russell’s Player Options Stance!
The Los Angeles Lakers front office had found their core group after the 2022-23 NBA season trade deadline. Hence, the general manager, Rob Pelinka, wasted no time in retaining those key pieces of the puzzle. Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura were the first ones to receive an extension contract as soon as the off-season kicked off. DLo, despite underwhelming postseason performance, secured a two-year $36 million contract, with a $18.7 million player option for the 2024-25 season. Meanwhile, Eric Pincus of the Bleacher Report believes Russell to opt out of his contract in the second year by exercising the player option.
D’Angelo Russell has reportedly not remained on good terms with the LA Lakers ever since he was benched during last season’s playoffs. Moreover, with the signing of Gabe Vincent, the point guard has gotten insecure about his place in the starting lineup. Rumors have it that Vincent could likely remain LA’s first-choice starter over Russell. At the same time, DLo would not settle for less and wants to remain included in the starting five. Thus, all directions point towards Russell’s early exit from Hollywood. But can the Lakers afford to cut the point guard loose? Russell is young and has the potential to become a long-term future guard to LA. Moreover, LeBron James and Anthony Davis are growing old. They certainly need support to keep their health in check. Hence, Rob Pelinka should try to lure the PG into adhering to his contract.
DLo Unfollows Lakers, Fuels Dispute Speculations
Amid all the speculations of an alleged rift with the Los Angeles Lakers, D’Angelo Russell had added fuel to the fire. He caused a stir through a social media activity. Alert internet users noticed that the point guard has unfollowed Purple and Gold’s official Instagram handle. While he continued to follow his teammates, including Austin Reaves and LeBron James, the rumor market is buzzing with wild speculations.
Earlier, D’Angelo Russell conveyed his displeasure with the kind of treatment he received from Lakers fans. According to the point guard, he did everything he could to uplift the team’s playoff push. Still, to the fans, it proved to be not enough as they discredited the guard’s salient efforts. To conclude, something is brewing in the LA camp, which is upsetting Russell.
