Lakers rumors: 3 Ways Los Angeles can win a rumored D'Angelo Russell trade

2. Wait until the trade deadline

Building upon the previous point, the best strategy might prove to be waiting to move D'Angelo Russell until the 2025 NBA trade deadline. It's not necessarily ideal if JJ Redick doesn't view Russell as a key part of his rotation, but there are worse scenarios than entering the season with him on the roster.

Russell is still one of the most productive point guards in the Association, and if he manages to play well in 2024-25, his trade value near the deadline could be significantly higher than it is right now.

The Lakers are struggling to trade Russell at the moment for a variety of reasons. For one, it's past the more active period of free agency, meaning teams have already made additions that at least temporarily cancel out the need for a trade.

Teams will be far more likely to part with desirable assets for Russell if it turns out that their free agency or even NBA Draft additions aren't providing the expected short-term value.

The other unfortunate factor that could create a stronger return for Russell is the injury bug. If a team has lost a key starter to an injury, then finding a replacement mid-season will mean having limited options and thus an absence of leverage in trade discussions.

It's a safe assumption that both Russell and the Lakers would like this situation resolved sooner than later, but waiting until the trade deadline might actually be the best way to maximize his value.

The risk: That Russell could underperform or be injured himself, thus tanking his own trade value and leaving Los Angeles in a position where it could lose him for nothing next summer.