3 Ways D'Angelo Russell helps Dalton Knecht after accepting Lakers player option

3. Stability Even Impacts Those Who Haven't Arrived Yet

The Los Angeles Lakers won 47 games with a core of Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and D'Angelo Russell. That same group led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals just one season ago.

It's understandable for the Lakers to want to reinvent the wheel after bowing out in the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs, but even incoming rookies can feel the negative impact of a drastic change in chemistry.

Russell knows how to play off of the current Lakers and thus has elevated value at the point guard position. He knows how to find his own shots, work without the ball, and create for his teammates, all of which are essential traits for a modern point guard.

For Dalton Knecht, entering a situation in which the point guard already knows how to create alongside the other players would make his transition significantly easier.

Any other point guard who's signed this summer would have a learning curve in figuring out how their teammates want to be created for. Russell, meanwhile, knows exactly what his teammates want and, in turn, has a leg up in terms of incorporating another shooter into the lineup.

If the Lakers want to get the best out of Knecht during his rookie season, then bringing him into the fold with a team that was one round away from the NBA Finals just one year ago would be a wise decision.

At the very least, keeping the non-LeBron point guard in place would help stabilize the conditions of his transition.