There was a genuine curiosity as to whether anyone would be interested in D'Angelo Russell after his release from the Memphis Grizzlies. It turns out the answer was yes. The team that came calling was just not one from the NBA. Russell is heading overseas for the next stop of his basketball journey.
Keith Smith confirmed the former Los Angeles Lakers guard was joining the Chinese Basketball Association. Russell agreed to sign with the Shanghai Sharks. The trolls on Twitter/X must be loving that one right now.
On a serious note, Russell being waived by the Grizzlies was telegraphed during the summer. It was a very legitimate talking point to wonder whether Russell would have NBA suitors following that release. A 30-year-old guard coming off an underwhelming season was always going to face an uphill battle.
Maybe the trip to Shanghai serves as a detour for Russell. Perhaps he shines in the CBA and gets an NBA team to give him one more shot at proving himself capable as an impactful performer off the bench. That could happen. Just as easily, this could be it for D-Lo as an NBA pro.
There may be no spots left in the NBA for D’Angelo Russell moving forward
Russell's 2025-26 season was nothing to write home about. Perhaps the volume stats of 10.2 points and 4.0 assists per game do not look that bad. Dig a little deeper and the picture painted for you will be that of a guard who struggled mightily.
The main value Russell brings is as a scorer. His efficiency was brutal last season. The former Dallas Mavericks posted a true shooting percentage of 51.1. That was the third worst mark of his 11-year career.
Russell struggled as a 3-point scorer, only shooting 29.5 percent from beyond the arc. Overall, he just barely managed to eclipse 40 percent (40.5) on his field goal percentage as a whole.
The short version: Russell was no longer that good at the things he was supposed to be delivering.
Couple that with him being an underwhelming defender, plus not really offering much elsewhere, and you understand why D-Lo only started three games in Dallas despite their overwhelming need for guard play. The Mavericks favored far less proven guys and even Cooper Flagg at point guard before trading away Russell to the Washington Wizards altogether.
Being an inefficient scoring guard, and not much else, typically provides a one-way ticket out of the NBA. That could prove to be the ultimate fate here for Russell.
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