Lakers' D'Angelo Russell Must Adjust to Role to Avoid Midseason Trade amid NBA Rumors

As the 2023 NBA offseason rolls on, Los Angeles Lakers fans are largely waiting for the new move to drop. General manager Rob Pelinka has made it clear that L.A. wants one more big man to round out the roster, and according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, both Centers Christian Wood and Bismack Biyombo are under consideration.

However, the Lakers roster, for the most part, is set. After L.A. brought pack the likes of Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell the top end of the rotation should look a lot like it did at the end of last season—and least initially.

Russell, who was acquired midseason and emerged as the Lakers' starting point guard, could be playing for a roster spot early in the 2023-24 season. He re-signed on a two-year, deal, but according to Spotrac's Keith Smith, Russell has a player option in Year 2 and waived his right to veto a trade:

This would seem to indicate that the Lakers have made it clear to Russell that he could become a trade asset at the trade deadline—and that Russell has accepted that reality. It also meshes with the Lakers' rumored plan for Russell before free agency.

Buha wrote the following back on June 16:

"One framework the Lakers have discussed internally, according to multiple team sources not authorized to speak publicly, is signing Russell to a front-loaded two-year deal—either with an option in the second year or a straight two-year contract. ...Their preference is to find a superior player by either sign-and-trading Russell elsewhere in July or, more likely at this point, re-signing him and then potentially trading him later in the season for a better player or fit."

This means that Russell will have a few months to prove that he's still a solid fit with the Lakers lineup, but to do that, he'll likely have to adapt to a new role. While players like LeBron James (presumably), Anthony Davis and Reaves will still be in the starting group, coach Darvin Ham and the Lakers are expected to do things a little differently on the offensive end of the court.

According to Buha, the Lakers are considering more two-big lineups, something the team utilized during its championship run in 2019-20. That could mean a significant role for free-agent addition Jaxson Hayes and whoever else L.A. adds to the center rotation behind Davis.

Pelinka has also promised defined perimeter-shooting roles for other new additions, like Cam Reddish, Gabe Vincent and Taurean Prince.

"I think those are guys that LeBron and D'Angelo and our playmakers also, I think are going to create open looks for those guys in the corner," Pelinka said, per Buha. "I think with the right spacing and the gravity that AD commands, those guys are going to get open looks."

Complementing the inside games of James and Davis with strong shooting was another strategy that was successful during L.A.'s last title run.

But for these offensive tweaks to work, it will likely require Russell to be more of a distributor at point guard rather than a primary scoring option—and that might be the right call, considering how Russell's shooting efficiency dipped in the postseason.

In his 17 regular-season games with the Lakers, Russell was fairly consistent, making 48.4 percent of his shots and 41.4 of his three-point attempts. In the playoffs, however, he shot just 42.6 percent from the floor and 31 percent from beyond the arc. He was also particularly ineffective shooting in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

Against Denver, Russell shot 32.3 percent from the floor and 13.3 percent from three-point range.

Russell can still serve as a primary ball-handler, along with James, but L.A. may require him to take more of a pass-first approach when he's in the lineup. Of course, Russell may also eventually spend less time with the first team than he did last season.

"The Lakers plan on running more of their offense through Reaves next season, unlocking the point guard skills he's flashed through his first two years in the league, according to team sources not authorized to speak publicly," Buha wrote on July 1.

With Reaves poised to become an offensive focal point, Russell could be a player who regularly comes off the floor to make way for a second big or for L.A.'s shooter lineup. It'll be up to Russell to show that he's not only willing to accept that role but also capable of thriving in it.

We're not talking about as dramatic a shift as when Westbrook went from being a starter to a sixth man, but Russell will have to make some adjustments for this game plan to work and for him to reach a second consecutive postseason with L.A.

If Russell can't prove himself to be a capable pass-first, part-time point guard, then the Lakers will undoubtedly scour the trade market for someone who can.