D'Angelo Russell: 2nd Lakers Stint Was 'Complete Success'; Would 'Love' to Stay in LA
Impending unrestricted free agent guard D'Angelo Russell called his second stint with the Los Angeles Lakers "a complete success" in a chat with reporters on Tuesday, one day after L.A. was eliminated from the Western Conference Finals by the Denver Nuggets.
As for what's ahead, Russell mentioned that he would love to stay in town while noting his offseason priorities.
Russell also spoke about where he felt his game is at the moment.
The Lakers acquired Russell, who played for L.A. from 2015 to 2017 after the team selected him second overall in the 2015 NBA draft, from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a three-team trade on Feb. 9.
He played an instrumental role in helping the Lakers turn their season around and make a run to the Western Conference Finals as a No. 7 seed, averaging 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game.
However, Russell struggled during the West finals, scoring just 6.3 points on 32.3 percent shooting. He also lost playing time and took the court for just 35 minutes over the Lakers' final two games. Denver also outscored L.A. by 53 points over Games 1-3 when Russell was on the floor.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on last Thursday's edition of NBA Countdown (56-second mark) that the Lakers want to retain Russell and fellow impending free agents Austin Reaves (restricted) and Rui Hachimura (restricted).
We'll see if that comes to fruition, but for now, the Lakers have some key decisions to make as they look to build upon a successful and surprising season considering their 2-10 start.
