D'Angelo Russell didn't work out in Golden State. He didn't work out in Los Angeles. He didn't work out in Dallas. And unsurprisingly, he is not likely to stick around in Washington -- and his career might be on the verge of ending entirely.
The Los Angeles Lakers were the original NBA team for Russell, who came out in the 2015 NBA Draft as a truly sublime passer with plenty of on-ball juice. He wasn't long for the Lakers, however, just as he wasn't long for any stop in his career. The Brooklyn Nets were next, where he earned one of the most undeserved All-Star berths in modern NBA history as an injury replacement.
D'Angelo Russell's career has been up-and-down
Since the Nets traded him away for Kevin Durant, however, his career has teetered on the edge of success and disappointment. He filled it up for a Warriors team struggling through a gap year, but he was clearly a terrible fit for their system. He was at his best for the Minnesota Timberwolves for a few years, but they couldn't win with his porous defense at the point of attack.
That brought him back to the Lakers, where he spread out some dazzling moments between equal parts solid and shockingly bad play. He did enough boneheaded things to enrage Lakers fans, and he did enough scoring and passing in big moments to convince the front office to keep him around.
That run ended last season, however, as the Lakers traded him at the NBA Trade Deadline -- back to the Nets once again. This past summer, he hit free agency with his reputation tarnished, signing a get-right deal with the Dallas Mavericks team in desperate need of a point guard, reuniting with Anthony Davis and Max Christie.
The bottom fell out for Russell
Things fell apart from there. Despite being the presumptive starter, Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd did everything but start Russell: he started rookie power forward Cooper Flagg at the point, then turned to undrafted rookie Ryan Nembhard. D-Lo played in only 26 games and had just three starts, shooting an abysmal 40.5 percent from the field and 29.5 percent from deep.
The Mavericks dumped him on the Washington Wizards in the Anthony Davis trade, and Russell didn't play a single minute in the nation's capital. Many thought he would work out a buyout, but with a player option for $5.9 million next season, Russell understandably didn't think he would make that up in free agency.
Russell is right. He has enough scoring and passing ability to have a spot in the league, but he hasn't done enough for years now that it's unlikely anyone will sign him to more than the minimum to compete to be a backup point guard. That's a hard fall for the one-time All-Star and longtime starter, but it's how aging works. At some point, you just don't have it anymore.
Russell will have a new team
The Wizards don't need a washed-up veteran point guard, making Russell a prime candidate to be on a new team. Washington expert John Canady put Russell first on a list of players unlikely to return to D.C. next season. Russell's departure could come via trade or via a buyout; technically, he could also decline his player option and hit the open market, but that seems very unlikely.
Lakers fans are unsurprised that Russell is hitting rock bottom, although perhaps the speed with which he did so is a surprise. Russell may have just one last chance to prove himself worthy of a spot in an NBA rotation, and after that, the end may be near.
Don't expect him back on the Lakers. Not even Rob Pelinka is that crazy.
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