When D’Angelo Russell joined the Lakers last season, there was some uncertainty about his performance on the team; there were even doubts about whether he could adapt to playing on a team with so many stars. Even so, he did it, but doubts surrounding the pilot remained.
Although Russell averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 assists, and shot 48% for the Lakers, it’s not entirely clear whether his style of play can be consistent with his teammates throughout a season in Los Angeles. .
The southpaw is a ball-demanding player – he doesn’t know how to play without the ball – his offensive positioning off the ball is sometimes wrong, and he often breaks after a few minutes without the ball. There’s no question that this is a problem on a team with LeBron James.
NBA Analytics Network digital portal speculates on the possibility of a trade that would send Russell to the Miami Heat in exchange for Duncan Robinson and a first-round pick in the 2029 draft.
In principle, this change may seem somewhat unbalanced. Russell was an important player last year, while Robinson didn’t actually count against his coach, Erik Spoelstra (he averaged 16.5 minutes per game). However, what we are analyzing is which player is best suited to pair up with LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the court.
Robinson is the player the Lakers have been looking for since last season. A perimeter player who can play without the ball and shoot as soon as the ball reaches his hands. With the forward potentially joining the team, Gabe Vincent (recently signed with the Lakers for $33 million for three seasons) will become more prominent and will be part of the starting five.
Although Russell is not 100% in line with head coach Davin Hamm’s requirements, this change does not do much good for the Lakers. Robinson will make nearly $1 million more this year ($18.2 million) than the current California driver and will have a guaranteed contract through the 2025-26 season.
If Russell can’t become a good off-ball player, the best solution is to bring him off the bench. Trading Robinson would benefit the Heat more than LeBron James’ team.