According to a source who spoke with Marc Stein of The Stein Line, the Dallas Mavericks had D’Angelo Russell higher on their free agency board than Chris Paul, proving that they are doomed to make the same realization the Los Angeles Lakers did: Russell is far too inconsistent. Add in his subpar defense, and he’s not the type of player who can be consistently relied upon. Paul could have been a better choice.
“One source with knowledge of the Mavericks' thinking, for the record, insists that Dallas had D'Angelo Russell higher on its free agent wish list than Paul,” Stein wrote.
Still, there are reasons the Mavs made the choice they did.
Why did the Mavs want D’Angelo Russell?
According to Stein’s source, the Mavs view Russell as a better fit next to Kyrie Irving (once he’s healthy again) and Anthony Davis than Paul.
“There is a belief in Dallas that Russell, in addition to leading the Mavericks’ efforts to cope without the injured Kyrie Irving, will find it easier to carve out a supplementary role when Irving is back playing after rehabbing from his ACL tear,” Stein wrote. “Dallas is also said to see him as a better fit alongside star big man Anthony Davis after Davis and Russell just played together with the Lakers.”
Russell isn’t a bad NBA player by any means. His shot creation and three-point shooting are both very valuable skills that can contribute to winning. The problem is, he’s very up and down.
One night, Russell will give a team an efficient 20 points while shooting lights out from deep. Another night, he’ll go 2-of-12 from the floor and struggle to hit his shots from deep range.
That’s not the type of player winning teams like to have around. There’s a reason Russell has been traded four times in the last six years. First, in a sign-and-trade by the Brooklyn Nets. Second, by the Golden State Warriors. Third, by the Minnesota Timberwolves. And fourth, by the Lakers last season.
Russell’s relationship with the Lakers rapidly went downhill after the 2024 NBA Playoffs, especially considering he wasn’t given a contract extension. It almost seemed inevitable that the Lakers would trade him.
Though he averaged 14.2 points in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, he only shot 38.4% from the field and 31.8% from deep. His inconsistency seriously held the Lakers back at times, leaving Darvin Ham to try out different lineups.
And the Mavs choosing him over Paul now has them doomed to make the same realization.