Lakers News: Jovan Buha Gives Major Update on Potential D'Angelo Russell Trade

Are Russell's days numbered in Los Angeles?

With the Lakers in a dogfight to make the playoffs this year, there's been no shortage of news as it pertains to the personnel on the roster. 

We've already seen one report indicate that Kyle Lowry could be on his way to the team through the buyout market. 

Another coming from Jovan Buha of The Athletic seems to indicate an increased likelihood that mercurial point guard D'Angelo Russell will be dealt before the trade deadline. 

Buha opened up about the possibility of Russell being moved in a Lakers-centric mailbag. A poster asked Buha about the odds that Russell will indeed be traded. He had this to say: 

A name to watch for the Lakers on the buyout market: Kyle Lowry. If Lowry is bought out by Charlotte, the Lakers are expected to have interest in him for a backup point guard role, according to team and league sources.

That in and more in today’s mailbag: https://t.co/H9s44eZ6U4

— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) January 26, 2024

"I’d put it at around 40 percent, which is higher than I would have as recently as a few weeks ago. I think it’s more likely than not he’s traded by the deadline, but it’s become more of a 50-50 proposition given the rising threshold for the Lakers to move him."

Per Jovan Buha of The Athletic

Russell is a player with value, though he's a bit of an acquired taste. You see moments where he can explode for scoring outbursts via crafty finishing in the mid-range and potency from beyond the three-point arc.

However, you also see examples of when Russell makes careless passes. There's a lackadaisical nature to his game, and his ability on the defensive end of the floor is objectively below-average compared to his peers. 

There is a world in which he sticks to the team. It might behoove L.A. to play Russell off the ball more as a spot-up shooter, with Austin Reaves and LeBron James taking on the majority of the ballhandling duties. 

With that said, based on the rampant smoke swirling around his name, it appears as if Los Angeles would prefer another option at the lead guard spot.