NBA news: Despite some buzz surrounding his potential summer departure, D’Angelo Russell eventually put pen to paper on a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers. LA wanted to retain the services of the former All-Star guard, and this required them to shell out no less than $36 million for a two-year extension.
While some fans weren’t happy with what Russell brought to the table for the Lakers last season, the numbers tell an altogether different story. In 17 games played for LA since his mid-season move from the Minnesota Timberwolves, D-Lo put up averages of 17.4 points on 48.4 percent shooting, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, while also connecting on 2.7 triples per game on a highly-efficient 41.4-percent clip. Still, the haters went on hating.
NBA News: D’Angelo Russell to Haters: ‘What Y’All Want?’
Russell recently guested on the latest episode of former teammate Patrick Beverley’s podcast. One of the topics of conversation centered around the D-Lo’s naysayers, to which the 27-year-old had a savage message:
“F**k I gotta do, Pat?” Russell said. “Y’all want me to play PG, I’ll play point. Y’all want me to play SG – what y’all want from me? I shoot 40% from 3, what y’all want? Want me to win the game the last 2 minutes too?”
“F*ck I gotta do, Pat? Y’all want me to play PG, I’ll play point. Y’all want me to play SG – what y’all want from me? I shoot 40% from 3, what y’all want? Want me to win the game the last 2 minutes too?”
D’Angelo Russell on last season 🗣️
(via @PatBevPod)pic.twitter.com/KFtPPTdMBR
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 2, 2023
He’s not wrong. Russell basically did what the Lakers asked him to, and for the most part, he delivered. Then again, there’s also no denying that consistency was an issue for the 6-foot-4 point guard, which is obviously something he will want to work on in Year 2 with the Lakers.
NBA News: Bucks Also Took Care of Business in Offseason
Much like LA, the Bucks also made a handful of key personnel decisions over the summer. The most pivotal ones included Khris Middleton’s three-year, $102 million extension, as well as Brook Lopez’s two-year, $48 million deal. Both players have been integral to Milwaukee’s success over the past few years, and the Bucks made sure they weren’t going anywhere.
Apart from Middleton and Lopez, the Bucks also signed AJ Green and Jae Crowder to extensions. They also recruited Malik Beasley and Robin Lopez via free agency. Similar to the Lakers, a renewed Bucks side is also out for some revenge in 2023-24.
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