By David Aldridge, Zach Powell, Mike Vorkunov and Mike Prada
For the second time in his career, D’Angelo Russell is on his way out of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Lakers have sent Russell, teammate Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton, league sources confirmed to The Athletic. ESPN was first to report the news.
The Memphis Grizzlies had also been engaged with the Nets in trade talks for Finney-Smith, but Brooklyn chose to accept the Lakers’ offer, league sources said.
Nets general manager Sean Marks will acquire Russell, the former No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft and a 2019 All-Star with Brooklyn, for the second time in eight years. In 2017, Brooklyn received Russell and Timofey Mozgov from the Lakers in a trade for Brook Lopez and the No. 27 pick, which the Lakers used on Kyle Kuzma.
Russell, 28, has been in trade rumors since he re-signed with the Lakers after they re-acquired him from the Minnesota Timberwolves in Feb. 2022. He opted in to the last year of his contract but has been on the block since. After averaging 18 points per game and shooting 41 percent from 3 last season, Russell has struggled in 2024-25, averaging just 12.4 points per game on 41.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from 3. He was recently pulled out of the starting lineup.
Finney-Smith, 31, is averaging 10.4 points per game this season while shooting a career-high 43.5 percent from 3.
Nets’ rebuild continues
The Nets’ vision in this deal is clear: maximize their tradable players for the future. Finney-Smith always made sense as the next player for the team to trade away after it dealt Dennis Schröder to the Golden State Warriors earlier this month. League executives noted Finney-Smith’s lower salary (he makes just under $15 million this season and has a player option for $15.4 million next year) and the complexity of any potential trade involving forward Cam Johnson, who is having a career season.
In Russell, the Nets bring back a key player from their first rebuild a half decade ago. He may be new to head coach Jordi Fernandez but not to the Nets organization.
The Nets are 2-4 since they traded Schröder and have the seventh-worst record in the NBA. They are angling to get higher up the lottery standings. —Mike Vorkunov, national NBA writer
This story will be updated.
(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
