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Since moving D’Angelo Russell to the bench, the Los Angeles Lakers have less of a desire to part ways with him via trade.
Per Clutch Points’ Anthony Irwin, Russell’s increased production off the bench has shifted the Lakers away from a trade for Russell and toward one involving Gabe Vincent.
“In talking to sources close to the Lakers, Russell playing well in this role might make them a little more reluctant to part with him, as bench unit seriously struggled with Gabe Vincent at the helm,” Irwin wrote. “If this is actually who Russell can be for the rest of the season, the Lakers might get even more picky about who they’d trade him for, or would look to find a more reliable option than Vincent as part of a Russell trade.”
Russell is averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 assists, 2.1 rebounds and one steal per game this season. He has come off the bench for Los Angeles over the past five games and put up 12.2 points, 3.4 assists and 1.8 rebounds per game.
As Irwin mentioned, the Lakers’ bench struggled early on this season, and Vincent was at the forefront of those struggles. In 13 games, Vincent is averaging just 2.9 points and a rebound per game in 18.1 minutes.
In place of Russell, JJ Redick has swapped between Cam Reddish and rookie Dalton Knecht in starting roles. Reddish is putting up 4.7 points and three rebounds per game while Knecht is averaging 9.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. The first-round pick out of Tennessee had a career-high 27 points in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday.
The Lakers were off to a 4-4 start before Russell moved to the bench. They’ve now won five straight and appear to have the makings of a playoff team.
While Russell at this point in his career would much prefer a starting role, coming off the bench has served both him and the Lakers well and it could be what keeps him in purple and gold after the trade deadline has passed.
