Austin Reaves Praises D’Angelo Russell amid Lakers Rumors: ‘Honor to Share the Court’

Joseph Zucker@@JosephZuckerFeatured Columnist IVJanuary 14, 2024

Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Following their 132-125 loss to the Utah Jazz, Austin Reaves had high praise for teammate D’Angelo Russell, who has again become the subject of trade speculation.

Reaves called Russell a “super-talented player” and told reporters that “it’s an honor to share the court with him.”

Spectrum SportsNet @SpectrumSN”His skill is very unique… It’s an honor to share the court with him.” Austin Reaves praises D’Angelo Russell for his play tonight. pic.twitter.com/DrohQbcu8r

Russell dropped a game-high 39 points along with eight assists in the defeat. He shot 15-of-26 from the field and 6-11 from beyond the arc in what was one of his best showings of the season.

The Lakers fell to 19-21 on the season with the defeat, though, and they’re now a full game out of the final play-in tournament place. The longer they continue hovering around—or even below—a .500 record, the tougher it might be for the front office to resist making a big trade before the Feb. 8 deadline.

Thanks to his $17.3 million salary for this season, Russell would be a likely candidate to get shipped out in that scenario. In December, The Athletic’s Jovan Buha wrote L.A. might be prepared to offload the 2018-19 All-Star in a hypothetical move for the Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine.

Based on multiple reports, however, Russell’s current salary along with his $18.7 million player option is dampening his market a bit.

If the 27-year-old prefers to stay on the West Coast, performances like what he delivered Saturday could be a double-edged sword. They may only succeed in enticing an outside suitor he’s still a net-positive trade asset.