Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell, right, dribbles past Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, in Los Angeles. (AP/Etienne Laurent)
- Russell's diminished role under new coach Redick led to career-low averages and removal from starting lineup.
- Finney-Smith brings much-needed 3-and-D skills to Lakers, averaging 10.4 points and 43.5% from three this season.
- Trade marks Russell's second move to Nets, having been an All-Star during his previous stint in Brooklyn.
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LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton.
The Lakers also sent forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn on Sunday.
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Russell’s Diminished Role Under New Coach
Russell averaged a career-low 12.4 points for the Lakers this season in a diminished role under new coach JJ Redick, who had vowed to unlock the point guard’s formidable offensive game. Instead, Russell was removed from the starting lineup in early November, and he struggled to make a consistent impact as a reserve, with his shooting percentages declining significantly from his previous two seasons back in Los Angeles.
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Finney-Smith Fills Lakers’ Need for Wing Defender
The 6-foot-7 Finney-Smith isn’t a top scorer, but he is a steady 3-and-D wing who fills an obvious need for the Lakers. Los Angeles has had inconsistent wing play and has lacked an effective defender at the key position during the long-term injury absence of Jarred Vanderbilt, who hasn’t played since Feb. 1.
Finney-Smith averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while hitting a career-best 43.5% of his 3-point attempts this season for the Nets, who acquired him from Dallas in the February 2023 in the trade of Kyrie Irving. Finney-Smith has been limited to five games this month by a sprained ankle and a bruised calf, but the 31-year-old played 27 minutes against San Antonio on Friday.
“We want to thank D’Angelo for his second stint with us, where we celebrated some great moments and accomplishments on the court together,” Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka said in a statement. “We are thrilled to add the physicality, toughness and elite shooting that Dorian Finney-Smith will bring to our core. We also greatly value the playmaking of Shake Milton. We are excited for our fans to get both of these players out on the court.”
Redick and Finney-Smith were teammates with the Mavericks during the 2020-21 season, and Redick has expressed admiration for Finney-Smith’s hard-nosed game.
Milton is joining his sixth NBA team in less than two years, including his third trade in 11 months. He is averaging 7.4 points and 2.4 assists this season as a Nets reserve.
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Russell’s Second Trade to Nets
Russell is being traded by the Lakers to the Nets for the second time in his career. He also made the move in 2017 after spending his first two NBA seasons with Los Angeles, which drafted him in 2015. 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 7 1/2 years.
The 10-year pro excelled for the Lakers during their run to the 2023 Western Conference finals after returning to the team in February of that season, although he got benched during that final playoff series against Denver. Russell remained a fairly consistent scorer last year while setting a new franchise record for 3-pointers made in a season, but his career-long problems with offensive inconsistency and defensive ability kept him out of Redick’s plans this year.
With Russell’s departure, Gabe Vincent is the only true point guard left in the Lakers’ rotation, although LeBron James often fills the role of initiating their offense.
The Lakers (18-13) have won five of six heading into their visit from Cleveland on New Year’s Eve.
Nets Continue Roster Restructuring
The trade continues a roster restructuring by the Nets, who traded former Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder to Golden State two weeks ago. Schröder was Brooklyn’s third-leading scorer, while Finney-Smith was its fourth-leading scorer.
The Nets have been one of the NBA’s lowest-scoring teams this season, so Russell should have plenty of chances to make an offensive impact. Brooklyn has lost three of four heading into its road game against Orlando on Sunday.
Russell’s $18.7 million contract expires this summer, while Finney-Smith has a $15.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season.
Lewis was the Lakers’ second-round pick in 2023, but he played in just 41 games over the past two seasons while shuttling to the G League.
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