Nets' Dennis Schröder Responds to Lakers' D'Angelo Russell, Calls Out 'Immaturity'

Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schröder fired back at ex-Los Angeles Lakers teammate D'Angelo Russell, who said in a recent ESPN interview that his former backcourt mate was the reason he was unable to have a relationship with head coach Darvin Ham.

"I don't understand it," Schröder said, per Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

"But at the end of the day, it just shows off immaturity. You're not really mature if you're just keeping somebody's name in his mouth and just running it. I don't understand."

Russell made his aforementioned remarks in a Wednesday interview with ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

"His relationship with Darvin is the reason I couldn't have a relationship with Darvin," Russell said.

"When I was struggling, I would've been able to come to the coach and say, 'Bro, this is what we should do. Like, I can help you.' Instead, there was no dialogue. ... I just accepted it.

"And we got swept and I'm here and he's not. And I like our chances."

A struggling Russell lost playing time to Schröder during the end of the Lakers' playoff run last season, which culminated in a 4-0 Western Conference Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets.

Schröder played for the Atlanta Hawks from 2013-2018, when Ham was an assistant in town. So as Russel noted, the two did have a previous relationship to build upon.

That's irrelevant now, as Schröder left in free agency for the Toronto Raptors, who later traded him to the Brooklyn Nets. Meanwhile, Russell re-signed with the Lakers on a two-year deal (only the first season is guaranteed). Despite seemingly always being the subject of trade rumors, Russell has stuck in town and averaged 17.8 points and 6.2 assists.

For now, he's tying to help the ninth-place Lakers, who are sitting with a 36-31 record, make the playoffs. A postseason is probably out of the equation for Schröder and the Nets, although he's fared well at his new stop, posting 14.5 PPG and 5.7 APG.