CHARLOTTE, N.C. — D'Angelo Russell remains at the center of trade talks after being rumored since re-signing with the Lakers in the summer. He's the Lakers' closest player to a sizable expiring contract. He said he plans to approach the deadline undaunted.
“I don't care,” Russell said. Show up at work. that's it. “
Russell has played his best basketball as a Laker and the best basketball of his career over the past four weeks since returning from a coccyx injury in late December. Over the past 16 games, Russell has averaged 22.2 points (46.3 percent shooting, 44.9 percent 3-point shooting) and 6.4 assists per game as the Lakers went 10-6.
Does his play since then provide reassurance that he's done everything he can to remain a Laker?
“So I don't have any control over whether my contract makes sense for me to be traded,” Russell said. “I mean, just play around. You can't control it. Again, I don't care. At all.”
Russell's contract ($17.3 million this season with a player option of $18.7 million next season) is probably the easiest salary on the Lakers' cap sheet to transfer. His contract is for one year, so technically he should have an implied no-trade clause, but he and his agent chose to waive it as part of negotiations with the Lakers. .
After briefly addressing his decision at media day in September, Russell explained his reasoning again on Monday.
“I just thought it made sense,” Russell said. “Obviously, I've been here before, I played for the Lakers before, so I know what the requirements are to be successful here. So I'm a part of the future here. If you are, you'll be successful. If you're like, no, you'll get traded. And I've been traded here before, too. So my approach is a little different. It's just, I just honestly, humbly don't care because I know I can't control it. , The second thing is I don't allow my mind to go there.
“I like to focus on this, and you guys can see how I'm focused on basketball and not on the comments or what's trending on social.”
Read more about Monday's Lakers vs. Hornets game here.
