TORONTO — D'Angelo Russell has come full circle in a second trade from the Lakers to the Nets. But this time, it's not as a promising up-and-comer, but as a mature leader.
The point guard, who was acquired along with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks in Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, joined up with the Nets in Toronto before Wednesday's game against the Raptors.
It's a reunion not only with his high school teammate Ben Simmons, but also with Brooklyn, where he played from 2017 to 2019 and earned his only All-Star berth.
“It's the same thing as getting traded before that. You have to adjust. So it was an adjustment for me, learning the players, learning the coaching staff, learning the new way Brooklyn does things.” said Russell. “A lot of things have changed since I’ve been here, so I’m just trying to adjust and jump right in with those guys.
“Honestly, it's a good feeling to go back to a place where you're comfortable, where you know a little bit of every nook and cranny. You'll see some familiar faces. It makes it a little easier to get used to the process. So , I'm just grateful for that.”
Russell didn't want to leave Brooklyn in the first place, but GM Sean Marks seemed frustrated after he was shipped to Golden State in a sign-and-trade for Kevin Durant.
But in Wednesday morning's shootout, both former and current Nets insisted there was no ax to fill.
“Honestly, as soon as I left, I kind of realized what it meant, because it was also an opportunity for me to go,” Russell said. “So there was no malice, no hard feelings, no real recovery.”
Russell averaged 12.4 points in just 26.3 minutes with the Lakers, averaging 4.7 points primarily as a reserve for the first time in his career. He has come off the bench in 19 of the past 21 games, but has a chance to be a floor leader again.
Russell, 28, said he had not had a chance to discuss in detail how manager Jordi Fernandez intended to use him at Simmons. However, he was looking forward to meshing his pick-and-roll style with his former Montverde Academy teammates.
“I'm looking forward to meeting in the middle and finding a way to balance things out. Like I said, I'm just grateful to be here and it's definitely going to be great to see some familiar faces.” Russell said.
“I mean, as a coach, that's a good problem to have, right? He dominates the ball as a play-making guard as well – a forward or whatever you want to say – so you can go out there and meet him in the middle and help his game and help him with his game. Finding ways to not only help the game, but also help the team, and make the coach's job easier, is something you don't get as many opportunities to do as you might think. I'm happy to have had that opportunity and to be here.”
Brooklyn waived two-way forward Jalen Martin in a move first reported by the Post.
They acquired former Princeton standout Tosan Ebbuomwan to fill the vacant two-way spot.
