The Los Angeles Lakers have made a splash ahead of the NBA's official trade season in a four-player deal that sent starting guard D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
In exchange for Russell, second year forward Maxwell Lewis, and three second round picks, the Nets are sending coveted forward Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton to Los Angeles.
The desire to land Finney-Smith is not surprising, as he was on many teams radars for his three-and-D ability. Finney-Smith is averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds on the season while knocking down 2.4 threes a game at a 43.5% clip. All this while averaging 2.5 stocks (steals and blocks) per game and providing quality perimeter defense.
The curious part is that the Lakers' decision to part ways with Russell in the trade. While he's looked nothing like last season's efficient performance, Russell remained one of the few capable guards on this Lakers team.
Instant analysis: The Lakers land Dorian Finney-Smith from the Nets in a 4-player swap
Moving on from Russell shows the Lakers' belief in Austin Reaves as a player who can take on more of an on-ball facilitation role. While much of that responsibility will always remain on LeBron James, Reaves has already spent 42% of his minutes as the team's point guard, which is likely to only increase this season.
The acquisition of Shake Milton also helps mitigate this loss. While not much of a household name, Milton has proven serviceable when given opportunity. Expect Milton to have a legitimate role, albeit off the bench, for this Lakers team.
As for the Nets, they have now acquired D'Angelo Russell for a second time, and for a second time, he appears not to be longed for the franchise. While there may not be any immediate plans to move Russell, especially as they cannot trade Russell alongside any other of their players until the offseason, as he was not acquired into cap space.
Russell has a player option worth $18,692,307 that he may very well opt into this offseason, but depending on how he finishes the season, he may attempt to land one more lucrative deal heading into his age 29 season.
Lastly, as for the league, one of the most speculated-about players on the market has been dealt in Finney-Smith. This deal has effectively set the market early in some regards but will also impact every team that considered acquiring him before he was sent to LA.
This moves the other names at similar positions a bit further up the big board. Finney-Smith's now former teammate Cam Johnson is still receiving plenty of attention from potential suitors and figures to be moved ahead of the deadline.
Former Laker Kyle Kuzma and his Washington Wizards are mutually interested in finding a trade for the forward. With Finney-Smith off the market, things may heat up around both Johnson and Kuzma.
Trade season is heating up folks stay tuned for more rumors and deals!