The Los Angeles Lakers have been rumored to be linked to a number of players before the NBA trade deadline on February 8th, most notably Dejounte Murray of the Atlanta Hawks, but after seeing D'Angelo Russell's recent play, they may may reconsider.
Since returning to the starting lineup, Russell is averaging 27.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting 54.2 percent from 3-point range on nine attempts per game. That coincided with a steady improvement in the Lakers' play, winning five of their last seven games.
The possibility of being traded before the deadline was no secret to either party, as Russell re-signed with the Lakers on a one-year, team-friendly contract with a player option, waiving an implied no-trade clause.
But if Russell can play consistently at his recent level, the Lakers may not want to upset the chemistry in their locker room by making a big trade involving their starting point guard.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, negotiations between the Lakers and Hawks to sign Murray have cooled off recently.
There has been little trade conversation between the Hawks and Lakers regarding former All-Star Dejounte Murray in recent days, according to league sources.
Trade negotiations tend to be fluid at this time of year and are likely to heat up again, but a person briefed on the negotiations said as of this Sunday that the idea of Murray joining the Lakers before the deadline was “unlikely.” “It's realistic.”
Stein went on to add that Russell's recent play is a potential reason for the delay in negotiations.
One of the reasons for this is D'Angelo Russell's strong play this month.
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In previous negotiations between the teams, Atlanta has resisted calling up Russell unless a third team can be found to take over Russell's contract, and the 27-year-old does not have an $18.6 million player option for next season. It was given.
The Lakers were initially said to be willing to package Russell in exchange for a 2029 first-round pick in exchange for Murray, but Austin Reeves is outright banned. Ta. Russell's good play seems to have suppressed that pursuit to some extent.
Lakers Nation's Trevor Lane also acknowledged that trade talks involving Russell and Murray have stalled.
It has been confirmed that negotiations between the Lakers and the Hawks regarding a trade for Dejounte Murray have not made any progress. @SteinLine It has been reported that the situation has calmed down. Please note that during this period, he only needs one phone call to resume the conversation.
— Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane) January 28, 2024
It's important to note that the Feb. 8 deadline is still about a week and a half away, and recent reports indicate that negotiations between the Lakers and Hawks are expected to resume as the deadline approaches.
This gives both teams a few more games, including Tuesday's matchup, to take a long look at to see what course they feel is best to take before the deadline.
D'Angelo Russell's confidence is now 'through the roof'
Russell recently said his confidence is “through the roof” considering how he's been playing.
If that continues, the Lakers could protect Russell at the deadline and use that asset to improve other areas of the roster, such as a 3-and-D wing or a backup center.
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