The Los Angeles Lakers’ season may be winding down, but that didn’t stop fans from booing veteran D’Angelo Russell for his questionable antics on the court. The footage of D’Angelo sitting in a team huddle, glued to his phone, went viral among Lakers Nation late in the game.

In 38 minutes of play in Game 2, D’Angelo scored 23 points and dished out 6 assists, putting up a respectable showing. He shot 0-for-7 from the field, including 0-for-6 from downtown, and concluded with zero points, dampening his expectations for tonight’s trip to Los Angeles.

Russell was completely unprepared for this one and was uttеrly frustrated as he spent the entire night struggling to get anything moving. D’Angelo undoubtedly seemed so uninterested and tuned out in the closing stages of the match because Darvin Ham had to sit him.

Once again, the Denver Nuggets fought back from behind to defeat the opposition and establish a 3-0 series lead. The Lakers were unable to respond their second-half challenges. The supporting cast for Denver shone in this game, even though Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray combined for 46 points. The reserve team more than compensated for the starters’ absence, as Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon both scored more than 20 points.

Even though Los Angeles still has time to salvage their season, they had one more opportunity to tie the series before losing and go home. Now that they’ve lost 11 games in a row against this squad, the Lakers have given up on a comeback and are uncertain about the future of their whole roster. It is becoming more and more probable that D’Angelo Russell will not be returning to the Purple and Gold next season.

D’Angelo Russell Is Likely To Be Traded In The 2024 Offseason

The original catalyst for last year’s run to the West Finals was D’Angelo Russell’s shooting. The team’s оffensive versatility increased after Russ was benched in favor of D’Lo, and Russell’s reputation as a perimeter threаt allowed him to create vital space on the court, allowing the two superstars more room to shine.

For the most of the season, Russell was the Lakers’ third-best player, averaging 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game on 45.6% shooting. He was a hero for the team through 76 games. After Game 2, his self-assurance reached new heights, and he spoke with great boldness about his performance in the series.

The problem with Russell’s career is that he has a history of being inconsistent and disappearing just when his team needs him the most. Russell has been inconsistent this season, and he damaged the Lakers in a game they needed to win, while having a fantastic year overall.

A number of trade deals including the young point guard are going to be discussed in the coming months, so keep an eye out for him this summer. Thankfully, after nearly a decade of nonstop disruption, Russel has become acclimated to trade discussion.