Slip an NBA season into the trade deadline

Plus Indiana, the Rockets, Sixers and Bulls

I liked what D’Angelo Russell said about potentially changing teams for the sixth time in seven years:

“I don’t care,” Russell said. “At all. Show up to work. That’s it.”

Not saying every NBA trade candidate should feel this way, but it is nice to have one player not to worry about. Nothing ever gets to D’Angelo Russell, not even his coaches.

D’Angelo has a player option for 2024-25, $18.6 million, he’ll likely decline it. The Lakers are terrific with Russell in control in February, it makes basketball sense to retain D’Angelo, but the NBA ain’t always about basketball.

Teams have to make something out of salary slots, nobody knows better than D’Angelo, especially franchises certain to be double-baked in aprons: