1. Finding equal value is easier said than done
If this were a video game, one could simply utilize a trade finder to swap D'Angelo Russell for an equally as talented or productive player. Unfortunately, reality is a bit less helpful to the process of roster construction, which is a daunting truth the Los Angeles Lakers must embrace.
Russell may have his flaws, but finding a player who does what he's capable of doing is far easier said than done—and, in all actuality, may not be possible at this stage of the offseason.
Russell finished the 2023-24 regular season with averages of 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 3.0 three-point field goals made on .456/.415/.828 shooting. He ranked 10th in the NBA in three-point field goals made and had the best three-point field goal percentage of any player in the top 20 in conversions.
Russell was also the only player to average at least 18.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 3.0 three-point field goals made on 40.0 percent shooting or better from beyond the arc.
For perspective, only three other players in NBA history have hit those statistical marks across a full season: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Kyle Lowry. There's much more to the game than statistics, but Russell isn't a player who can be as easily replaced as some might presume.
If the Lakers wait until closer to the trade deadline, when they might actually have leverage in negotiations, then adding an ideal player or an appropriately valued draft pick would become significantly easier to pull off.
It all goes out the window when trading for a star is the topic at hand, but if that isn't a real possibility, then the Lakers would be wise to at least consider waiting until February to trade Russell.