(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
We may be witnessing the last days of D’Angelo Russell being a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Brian Windhorst is reporting, per NBACentral, that Russell will “likely turn down his player option” this summer and will become a free agent.
This news comes just hours after a shockingly bad performance from Russell, which could greatly impact his value on the market in the offseason.
D’Angelo Russell will likely turn down his player option and become a free agent this summer, per @WindhorstESPN
(h/t @LakersDailyCom ) pic.twitter.com/h26haaydVT
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 26, 2024
Russell signed a two-year, $36 million deal to stay in Los Angeles last summer.
The second year of the deal is a player option worth a bit more than $18 million.
According to Windhorst, Russell will turn down that option and see what other NBA teams will be interested in signing him for 2024–25 and beyond.
Lakers fans have grown used to the idea of Russell leaving the team.
In fact, a few months ago, it seemed like rumors of him departing were everywhere.
The front office was reportedly contemplating sending Russell away, allegedly to acquire Dejounte Murray from the Atlanta Hawks.
That deal never came to fruition and Russell went on a miraculous run around the trade deadline, earning his spot in Los Angeles and winning over many sour Lakers fans.
Since then, he has had a lot of positive nights with the Lakers but he has again had a lot of issues during the postseason.
On Thursday night, Russell scored zero points against the Denver Nuggets in their painful 112-105 loss.
That performance will not be forgotten by the Lakers or any other teams thinking of signing him in the summer.
Russell has a lot of talent and when he’s doing well, he can be a great asset to any team.
But when he goes cold, like he did on Thursday, it’s impossible to ignore.
Which teams will contemplate signing Russell in the upcoming months?
The post D’Angelo Russell Has Reportedly Made A Decision About His Contract appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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