D’Angelo Russell is looking forward to ‘moving on’ from the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers (21-17) are ready to end their shortened duel with a game against the Brooklyn Nets (14-27) on Friday night. Ahead of the game, former Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell reflected on his time with the team and expressed his excitement to play against his former team.

“It’s exciting.” I’m excited to be on this side and attack those guys,” Russell told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Obviously, a lot of my friends there, so it’s going to be a different feeling, but exciting.”

Russell, who returned to the Lakers in February 2023 after being drafted by the team in 2015, he described his second stint in Los Angeles as a unique chapter in his career. Despite his departure, he spoke with gratitude for his time with the organization.

“I mean, just a blur,” Russell said. “I think coming in I was locked into what I personally had to achieve to be there… Not being there now, obviously, is something I’m trying to get past and work through. But it’s a place I’ve been to twice, it’s home to me. For me, I feel like part of my career is something you really can’t get back – I appreciate it and I can’t wait to move on.”

D’Angelo Russell game against his former team as the Nets face the Lakers

In 265 games with the Lakers, Russell averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 42.8% from the field and 37.6% from the field. by three points. His contributions were key during the Lakers’ run to the 2023 Western Conference Finals, a significant achievement for the franchise in recent years.

Last season, however, marked Russell’s most productive year in a Lakers uniform. He averaged 18 points, 6.3 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 45.6% from the field and a career-high 41.5%. Russell also broke the Lakers’ single-season record for 3-pointers, hitting 226.

At the end of December, The Lakers traded Russell and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. Although Russell will play against his former team on Friday, Finney-Smith remains unavailable for the Netsmarking his second consecutive absence due to the birth of his son.

Friday’s game serves as a reunion for Russell and his former teammates as the Lakers look to keep their momentum going in the competitive Western Conference. For Russell, it’s another step in embracing the next phase of his career with the Brooklyn Nets.