The Los Angeles Lakers made a handful of important decisions surrounding their backcourt in the offseason as they look to challenge for the title in 2023-24. One of their biggest decisions included the two-year extension of D’Angelo Russell which is going to cost LA $37 million.
However, James Piercey of NBA Analysis Network argues that Russell still isn’t the perfect fit alongside LeBron James. There’s no denying that he’s a better match than Russell Westbrook, but Piercey believes that the Lakers could still do better.
Lakers Add Another Guard in Malcolm Brogdon
According to Piercey, swapping Russell with Malcolm Brogdon of the Boston Celtics would put them in a more ideal situation. D-Lo currently isn’t eligible to be dealt after signing an extension which means that LA will need to wait a bit before pulling the trigger on this proposed deal.
Below are the details of the trade:
Boston Celtics Receive: G D’Angelo Russell, F/C Jarred Vanderbilt
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: G Malcolm Brogdon
The argument here is that Brogdon is a better fit alongside LeBron and Anthony Davis because of the former Milwaukee Bucks Rookie of the Year’s ability to play off the ball. Piercey argues that Brogdon is a much better defender as well, making him a good fit with Austin Reaves in LA’s new-look backcourt.
Celtics Find Marcus Smart Replacement in D’Angelo Russell?
For their part, the Celtics pulled the plug on Marcus Smart this summer in favor of bringing in Kristaps Porzingis in a blockbuster trade. D’Angelo Russell is far from a 1-for-1 replacement for Smart, but at least Boston gets their starting point guard. At this point, Boston seems set on starting Derrick White at the one to start the season, so if that does not pan out for some reason, D-Lo could come in and save the day for the Celtics.
Jarred Vanderbilt is a pretty solid acquisition as well, and he should be a solid backup option behind Porzingis at power forward. If you ask me, this is a pretty good deal for Boston.
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