It's finally happened. After years of rumors and speculation, the Los Angeles Lakers have moved on from D'Angelo Russell, completing a trade that all involved had been anticipating for as long as he'd been wearing the purple and gold—for a second time in under 10 years.
The bittersweet departure has yielded a potentially positive result, with a long-awaited improvement along the defensive perimeter on the way, but losing Russell has created a new void.
Russell's tenure in Los Angeles was nothing short of polarizing. He reached impressive highs, setting the Lakers' single-season record for three-point field goals made while averaging 18.0 points and 6.3 assists on .456/.415/.828 shooting in 2023-24.
Unfortunately, he also struggled mightily during the postseason, averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 assists on .414/.313/.750 shooting across 21 playoff games in Los Angeles.
This ultimately resulted in the Lakers opting to trade Russell during the final season of his current contract. Considering Dorian Finney-Smith's strengths align perfectly with Los Angeles' weaknesses, it's safe to argue that the deal has promise.
The harsh reality facing the Lakers, however, is that Russell was the second unit's only proven shot creator in anything resembling consistent form.
Lakers need someone to step up and save the second unit
Los Angeles' bench currently ranks No. 29 in points per game and points per 100 possessions. With this in mind, it's fair to argue that Russell only added so much to a second unit that was clearly dreadful on offense regardless of who was on the court.
The difference between the Lakers' bench with and without Russell was noteworthy, however, and it's unclear who will step up in his place.
Prior to moving Russell to the second unit, the group averaged 28.9 points per 100 possessions. Since making the change, the bench's production is up to 36.6 points per 100 possessions—an increase of 7.7.
The production is still far below the standard it needs to meet, but every bench point counts for a team with a top-heavy roster structure.
Gabe Vincent appeared to be turning a corner, averaging 7.5 points in 22.4 minutes per game between Dec. 4 and Dec. 23. Unfortunately, he's scored five total points over the past two games, and is now battling an oblique injury.
Max Christie has scored at least 16 points in each of the Lakers' past three games, but he started all three—and it's unclear if he can thrive as a shot-creator with the second unit.
Perhaps the door will open for Dalton Knecht to further solidify himself as a high-level scoring threat with Russell out of the mix. No one mentioned is as strong of a facilitator or isolation scorer as Russell at this stage, however, thus potentially leaving Shake Milton in a position of unexpected responsibility.
Regardless of how the Lakers manage to overcome this issue, there isn't a clear path forward from losing the value Russell provides.