The Los Angeles Lakers have traded point guard D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported.
Also included in the package going to Brooklyn is reserve forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks.
Finney-Smith provides a better fit for a Lakers lineup in need of shooting and defense on the wing. The nine-year veteran is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds, shooting 44% (47-for-108) on 3s.
In his second stint with the Lakers, Russell was underperforming this season, averaging a career-low 12.4 points and 4.7 assists while shooting 33% on 3-pointers. He returns to Brooklyn, where he was an All-Star in 2018-19, and should replace Dennis Schroder, who was traded to the Golden State Warriors two weeks ago.
Lakers coach JJ Redick moved Russell to a reserve role to provide scoring and playmaking off the bench. Yet his defense was frequently problematic, resulting in Max Christie getting a bigger role.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
