The Los Angeles Lakers finally agreed to a deal after weeks of speculation.

In a four-player deal, the LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets bid farewell to D’Angelo Russell for the second time.

Like in 2017, Russell gets traded to the Nets along with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round choices.

The Lakers have added two guys to their roster that will improve their defense: Shake Milton and Dorian Finney-Smith.

Despite his scoring prowess, Russell’s defensive play has drawn harsh criticism,

and ever since JJ Redick benched him from the starting lineup, it appeared inevitable that he would be sold.

Why D’Angelo Russell was actually traded by the Lakers

This season, D’Angelo Russell has averaged 12.4 points per game.

In early December, he scored a season-high 28 points against the Trail Blazers.

Although he only scored nine points and five against the Pistons in his most recent performance,

he also scored twenty points in one of the Lakers’ recent games against Sacramento.

Russell’s scoring was crucial to the Lakers at one point, but not anymore.

He is averaging 26.3 minutes per game this season, which is lower than his 32.7 minutes per game from the previous season and his second-lowest in the NBA.

JJ Redick has been reorganizing his club, and the Lakers’ recent success gave him the confidence he needed to trade Russell.

The Lakers’ decision to make the move is said to have been influenced by Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Gabe Vincent.

Reaves has been playing exceptionally well lately; in the team’s most recent victory over the Kings, he contributed 16 assists.

According to Lakers insider Anthony Irwin, “the Lakers felt comfortable moving on from Russell now because of Austin’s play since Max entered the starting lineup and Gabe’s recent run.”

There may be more Lakers trades.

The Lakers may make more trades this season than this one.

“Getting DFS for no firsts allows for further moves too,” Irwin continues.

The Lakers will continue to play. The Lakers gain both monetarily and possibly on the court by acquiring Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton while voiding Russell’s contract.

The Lakers still have enough assets to make another trade before the deadline in early February, but it doesn’t answer their desire to add another center.

The Lakers want to improve and finish as high in the standings as possible, and the message is clear:

they are not done, even if they are now ranked fifth in the Western Conference.