D'Angelo Russell Rumors: 4-Year, $100M Contract Was Eyed Before Lakers-Wolves Trade

D'Angelo Russell could be setting his sights high as he prepares for unrestricted free agency.

Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports reported Russell was seeking a four-year contract worth upward of $100 million in extension negotiations when he was playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It's unclear if Russell's asking price is still around $25 million per year, but that could be a hint as to why Minnesota was so willing to move him at the deadline.

Russell averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists while shooting 41.4 percent for the Lakers during the regular season but fell apart in the playoffs. He was the worst player on the floor for much of the Lakers' Western Conference Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets, averaging only 6.3 points and 3.5 assists while shooting 32.3 percent from the field.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham played Russell only 15 minutes in the deciding Game 4 loss. Despite the disappointing ending to the season, the Ohio State product had a positive outlook on his performance in his second stint with the Lakers.

"I can't complain about anything other than the ball not going in when I wanted it to," Russell told reporters.

The Lakers will also have to contend with the restricted free agencies of Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, both of whom likely made themselves tens of millions in the postseason. Reaves will likely garner significant interest despite his restricted status, perhaps with teams even looking to force the Lakers' hand into an overpay.

It seems likely that both Reaves and Hachimura will be higher priorities for the Lakers than Russell, but the Lakers can ill afford to lose any of them. Russell's performance in the playoffs left something to be desired, but he's a strong starter and floor-spacer during the regular season who can help take the load off an aging LeBron James.