5 Lakers who are in their last month under contract with the team

1. D’Angelo Russell

D’Angelo Russell was the big contract that the Los Angeles Lakers received in return for Russell Westbrook and he instantly started showing his worth to the team. Russell then rolled his ankle and the team went on a little bit of a winning streak without him, which is making the situation murkier than it needs to be.

Russell has not been as sharp since he returned from injury and it has some fans questioning whether or not it is worth bringing him back in the summer. Russell shouldn’t get as big of a contract as he had before but he still should cost a pretty penny, likely in the $20-25 million per year range.

While it is completely justifiable to have concerns about Russell and his play style, it is also important to think about what the alternatives are. The Lakers have Bird Rights on Russell, meaning they can go over the cap to re-sign him.

If the Lakers lose Russell then they lose that ability to add an extra $20-25 million to the pay roll. That might be a good thing for Jeanie Buss but having that contract is important.

By re-signing Russell, the Lakers would not only be giving this unit a chance to run it back with more experience under their belts next season but would open the door for any potential future moves using his contract.

That is why it would be pretty shocking to see Russell leave this offseason unless the Lakers make a tremendous mistake and trade him for Kyrie Irving.