D'Angelo Russell
The story of D'Angelo Russell's second stint with the Lakers will always begin with Russell Westbrook. When LA brought in the former MVP to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the hope was that he would help them get back to the Finals. Instead, that move essentially derailed everything the organization had worked so hard to build up to that point in the LeBron era.
Enter D'Angelo Russell. At the 2023 trade deadline, Rob Pelinka knew he had to do something to get Westbrook out of town and come up with some sort of replacement, and D'Lo was what the Lakers ended up with. While D'Angelo may be a better fit than Westbrook, he has been far from what LA needs to become a true contender once again.
He struggled for much of the 2023 playoffs, but the organization knew he was brand new to the team and could potentially be much better with a full offseason in Los Angeles under his belt. But after a stellar second half of the 2023-24 regular season, D'Lo had far too many moments of struggle in the postseason once again.
Russell is currently under contract with the Lakers for next season and is set to receive an $18.6 million paycheck. LA may not want to keep his expiring contract, but there may also not be much of a trade market for the hot-and-cold guard.