4. D'Angelo Russell
The final player on our list is one that has been frequently mentioned as one of the top candidates to depart Los Angeles in short order. D'Angelo Russell's name will forever be connected with the Lakers after being drafted by the organization and eventually ending up back in LA after years elsewhere.
This past year was his first full season with the team since his sophomore year in 2016-17. It was certainly a rollercoaster ride as all things tend to be with D'Lo. But Russell admittedly had a prolonged stretch of very solid play that has probably made the Lakers' front office at least think twice about trading him.
Looking at his contract situation, D'Angelo has a player option for the upcoming season. Of course, if he opts not to pick it up he can pursue a deal elsewhere. But in the interest of not losing him for nothing, the Lakers might want to get him to agree to at least begin next season in LA.
There may already be a mutual desire to part ways between D'Lo and the Lakers. If that is the case, the organization could work alongside him to execute a trade during the 2024-25 season that would allow him to end up in a desired landing spot with a team that would potentially be interested in extending him.