The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, guard Shake Milton, forward Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round draft picks. Russell, who averaged a career-low 12.4 points per game this season, struggled to make an impact coming off the bench and had his shooting percentages decline significantly from his previous two seasons with the Lakers.
Finney-Smith, a 6-foot-7 wing, is a steady 3-and-D player who should fill a need for the Lakers, who have lacked an effective defender at the key position. He averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds while hitting a career-best 43.5% of his 3-point attempts this season for the Nets.
Milton, who has played for his sixth NBA team in less than two years, averaged 7.4 points and 2.4 assists as a reserve for the Nets. The trade marks the second time Russell has been traded to the Nets, with the first transaction occurring in 2017.
The Lakers are looking forward to adding the physicality, toughness, and elite shooting that Finney-Smith will bring to their core, as well as the playmaking abilities of Milton. Russell’s departure leaves Gabe Vincent as the only true point guard in the Lakers’ rotation, with LeBron James often filling the role of initiating their offense.
The trade continues a roster restructuring by the Nets, who traded former Lakers point guard Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors two weeks ago. The Nets are one of the NBA’s lowest-scoring teams this season, so Russell should have opportunities to make an impact offensively.