D’Angelo Russell has been a topic of conversation dating back to the beginning of the offseason because he surprisingly picked up his player option for the 2024-25 season.
Russell was expected to opt out and pursue a new deal with the Los Angeles Lakers or another team, but by picking up the option he subjected himself to being traded during the year.
As an expiring contract, Russell could be a solid trade asset for a team looking to offload long-term salary. However, up to this point the Lakers have been unable to find a trade partner for Russell and will likely need to wait until the annual NBA trade deadline to make a move.