Could D’Angelo Russell Skepticism Lead To Kyrie Irving Signing?

Just over a month ago, the Los Angeles Lakers were settling into a rhythm with D’Angelo Russell as their third-leading scorer behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Russell, seemingly, had accepted his status as the third option, finally creating a set pecking order that was not fully in place during the tenure of Russell Westbrook. Not only did this arrangement benefit the Lakers, but Russell as well.

After having jumped around the league in recent years, with stays in Brooklyn, Golden State, and Minnesota, Russell returned to the Lakers – where he began his career – as a more mature player, who appeared ready to produce in the postseason, and be a crucial element in a deep run towards the Finals. His pending unrestricted free agency appeared as just a formality.

Fast forward to the end of the Western Conference Finals, where Russell and the Lakers got swept by the Denver Nuggets, and Russell is by no means a guarantee to return to the Lakers next season.

The point guard scored a grand total of 25 points over the course of four games, hitting 32.3% of his total shots, and just 13.3% from downtown. He had six turnovers in the series to ten made shots, and was routinely the worst player on the court. Not only did he struggle to generate offense, but a significant portion of the shots he did get up were entirely off rhythm, some barely kissing the iron, and other catching nothing but air.

His performance left a lot to be desired, and it unquestionably left a sour taste in the mouths of executives, who had him on their shortlist going into the 2023 offseason.

Russell’s performance also re-opened the door to a Kyrie Irving acquisition, a notion that was mostly viewed as unnecessary after Russell started playing well in the Lakers’ system. The idea was that Russell would come cheaper than Irving – a notion that is even more true now than before, but for worse reasons – and would be more amendable to a role of supporting player.

Now, however, an argument could be made for Irving being a more necessary acquisition.

For one, it’s unlikely Irving would ever reach a production level as low as Russell, even on a bad day. Secondarily, James is turning 39 in December, and it’s becoming clearer by the week that his age is catching up to him.

Bringing in Irving as Russell’s replacement could – in theory – allow the Lakers to extend the shelf life of James, by having him play a vastly lesser role during the regular season, with instead Irving and Davis taking on more responsibilities.

As for the type of compensation Irving would be looking for, it all depends what Dallas offers. If they’re willing to offer him a full four-year max, that would complicate matters greatly for the Lakers, who would need to clear money off their books, and thus butcher their depth, to be able to afford him.

If Irving receives a lesser offer, which isn’t out of the question given his tendency for making controversial comments, and becoming a media sideshow, that would put the Lakers in a fairly advantageous position. By not having to max out Irving, there’s a chance the Lakers could retain some of their depth, pending of course what the new non-max offer is.

That isn’t to say it’s an easy calculous. Sacrificing depth for quality doesn’t guarantee success, and with unknowns such as James’ future in Los Angeles – and his physical state when he enters his 21st season in the fall – an Irving signing could absolutely fall flat on its face.

But, so could a return of D’Angelo Russell. At least if the Lakers have championship aspirations. Can the Lakers trust Russell to perform better next postseason? Probably not given the extent to which he struggled this year. Russell didn’t even resemble a starter in the series against Denver, and was replaced in the starting lineup by Dennis Schröder for Game 4.

At least with Irving, who will presumably be the more expensive option, you get a certain production baseline that you don’t get with Russell. Now it’s time for the Lakers to figure out which direction they prefer.

And if neither are of interest, Mike Conley is also to be found on the free agent market. Just saying.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.