D'Angelo Russell, Mavs Reportedly Agree to 2-Year, $13M Contract amid Kyrie Injury

After becoming a free agent this offseason, former Brooklyn Nets veteran point guard D'Angelo Russell is on the move once again.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Dallas Mavericks signed Russell to a two-year, $13 million contract on Monday. The Nets had acquired Russell from the Los Angeles Lakers in a December trade, marking his second stint in Brooklyn following his two-year run with the franchise from 2017 to 2019.

Charania previously named Russell as a likely target for the Mavs this offseason to provide a stopgap while star point guard Kyrie Irving recovers from his torn ACL. The deal reunites Russell with star big man Anthony Davis, as the two played together on the Lakers before being traded this past season.

Russell had expressed his desire to remain with the Nets beyond the 2024-25 campaign in March, though he later admitted, "I don't think it's in my control, to be honest." He was proven to be correct, as Brooklyn ultimately chose to move on from him as it continues to tear down its roster.

Russell struggled to find his groove throughout the 2024-25 season, as a change from the West Coast to the East Coast did little to change his performance.

After averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 assists in 29 games with the Lakers, he made minimal improvements across 29 games with the Nets and averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 assists. His shooting percentages dropped from 41.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc in Los Angeles to 36.7 percent overall and 29.7 percent from three-point range in Brooklyn.

Russell entered the NBA as the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA draft by the Lakers. He has also had stints with the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. Dallas will be his fifth career team as he enters his 11th season in the league.

The Mavs finished 10th in the Western Conference with a 39-43 record and lost to the Memphis Grizzlies in the play-in tournament. Dallas had the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft and selected Duke star forward Cooper Flagg, adding a potential future superstar to a roster full of veteran talent.

Signing Russell gives the Mavs a veteran presence in the backcourt for the 2025-26 season while Irving works his way back to the court. Russell will undoubtedly be hoping to bounce back in a big way next year to prove that his performance from this past season was just an anomaly.