The Lakers had a major resurgence in the regular season after the February trade deadline. They had a horrible start to the current season. The squad lost ten out of the first twelve games. Furthermore, they could not make the postseason last year. As a result, there was a lack of faith in the Lakers team based on the strength of the team. Clearly, they were going through a lot of confusion with Russell Westbrook and if they needed to trade him as soon as possible.
It was visible that the Lakers did not have a balance on the roster. Westbrook’s playing style was colliding with LeBron James as both wanted to hold the ball as long as possible. Hence, it was high time to make some changes in the squad. Finally, the Lakers got lucky with the February trades, as then they started looking a lot more balanced side. And at present, it is more evident that those changes have done miracles for the Lakers. The new players served a humongous role in helping the team make the playoffs. D’Angelo Russell is one such player who has become a more integral part of the team in no time.
Lakers Looking To Keep D’Angelo Russell And Dennis Schroder In Offseason
D’Lo Russell debuted in NBA wearing the purple and gold jersey. Later he moved to different teams. However, in February, the Lakers’ front office bought Russell back from the Timberwolves. Since then, he has played an essential role in helping Anthony Davis to turn things around for the Lakers. As a result, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski recently suggested Russell’s long stay in the squad. According to him, “D’Lo would want to stay with the Lakers. He would love to re-sign with the team that drafted him in 2015. Once the offseason starts, D’Lo Russell will earn $138 million.”
Russell has previously mentioned that he wants to be the point guard of the Lakers in the future. His desire to do the best he could to stay with the franchise was clearly displayed against the Toronto Raptors. Meanwhile, other players who are playing a pivotal role in the current season for the Lakers are Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder, Rui Hachimura, and so on. Other than D’Lo and AR, Schroder is also proving to be a worthy member of the roster. The LA side has the Non-Bird Rights to extend Schroder’s contract to a minimum of 120%, which means $3.8 million approximately for the next season. Dennis Schroder has a veteran’s minimum deal for a year with the LA side. He can make the Front office extend his contract with a few more valuable contributions. This reserve point guard of the Lakers is a prolific scorer.
D’Lo And Schroder Had Nice Outings In Game 1 Vs. Warriors
All these players will become free agents in the offseason. The Lakers faithful would be hoping the front office to extend most of these players’ contracts. AR and Dennis have been part of the Lakers for a while now.
But D’Lo joined a few months ago. Moreover, Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office would have a keen eye on these players. D’Lo and Schroder both scored 19 points each Vs. Warriors in Game 1 of the playoff semis.
