Former Ohio State Buckeyes Star Dealt in Surprising Trade

This former Ohio State Buckeyes star has been traded from the Los Angeles Lakers to the Brooklyn Nets in the latest move of his NBA career.

Dec 21, 2024; Sacramento, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell (1) smiles during a time out in the second quarter of the game against the Sacramento Kings at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images / Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star D'Angelo Russell is on the move again.

The Los Angeles Lakers traded Russell to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday in a deal that sent forward Dorian Finney-Smith back to the Lakers.

Russell was struggling in a reduced role for Los Angeles this season, averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 assists over 26.3 minutes per game on 41.5/33.3/84.9 shooting splits.

It marks the second time Russell has been dealt from the Lakers to the Nets, as he was also dealt from LA to Brooklyn back in June 2017.

The 28-year-old spent one season at Ohio State during the 2014-15 campaign, registering 19.3 points, 5.7 assists and five rebounds a night while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and 41.1 percent from three-point range.

Russell was widely viewed as one of the best prospects in a 2015 NBA Draft class that also included Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis.

The point guard was ultimately selected by Los Angeles with the second overall pick of the draft, but lasted just two seasons in Tinseltown before being dealt to Brooklyn.

Russell experienced the best run of his NBA career during his original stint with the Nets, particularly during his second season when he posted 21.1 points per game en route to an All-Star appearance.

The Louisville, Ky. native has also spent time with the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. He owns career averages of 17.5 points and 5.7 assists per game on 42.9/36.8/79.4 shooting splits.

We'll see if Russell can re-establish himself as a reliable backcourt scorer in Brooklyn.