D’Angelo Russell was the main player that the Los Angeles Lakers got in return for Russell Westbrook during the 2023 trade deadline. While Russell had his flaws, anything was better than Westbrook as he is still haunting the Lakers to this day.
Flaws aside, Russell has been really solid for the Lakers thus far. It has not always been perfect but he has had a few huge offensive games that carried the Lakers in the first two series. He might not be the most important player on the Lakers but Russell has definitely been important.
However, his flaws are really starting to shine through in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.