Lakers ship Russell to Nets for Finney-Smith, Milton
The Los Angeles Lakers are moving guard D'Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, the two teams announced Sunday.
L.A. will also be sending three second-round picks to Brooklyn, which will be conveyed in 2027, 2030, and 2031.
This is the second time Russell has been the focal point of a trade between these two organizations: The Nets acquired him and former center Timofey Mozgov in the 2017 offseason in return for current Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez.
Russell played 129 games over two seasons with Brooklyn and was named to his only All-Star Game in the 2018-19 campaign while playing for the Nets.
The Ohio State product had spent the last two years in Los Angeles. Russell struggled to find a role with the Lakers this season, averaging a career-low 12.4 points in 29 games with the club. First-year head coach JJ Redick had moved Russell to the bench at times, using him as a second-unit scorer.
The second overall pick from the 2015 draft is on an expiring contract worth $18.7 million. Shedding his salary will drop Los Angeles' luxury tax bill from $53.2 million to $42 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Lewis is a second-round selection from the 2023 NBA Draft who has only appeared in 41 career games for Los Angeles.
Finney-Smith is in his third season with Brooklyn after arriving from Dallas in 2023. The 31-year-old is a versatile defender and is averaging double-digit points (10.4) for the second time in his career. He's also shooting a career-best 43.5% from deep.
Milton has been a microwave scorer off the bench for Brooklyn this season, appearing in 27 games and averaging 7.4 points while shooting 38.9% from downtown.
Los Angeles has won five of its previous six games and has climbed to fifth in the Western Conference, sitting at 18-13.
The Nets, meanwhile, are 12-19 after their recent loss to the San Antonio Spurs. Brooklyn sits 12th in the East.