The Los Angeles Lakers headed into the NBA offseason with a lot of uncertainty about which players on the roster would be returning, with Austin Reaves, D’Angelo Russell, and Rui Hachimura all headed for free agency in one way or another.
Even though the team’s brass was adamant about keeping the roster intact, with an emphasis on those three players, there’s no guarantee that was going to happen, especially considering Russell’s situation.
Once NBA free agency got underway, the Lakers didn’t take very long to make their first splash by signing Gabe Vincent to a three-year deal, which many believed could spell the end of Russell in Los Angeles.
Despite the writing seemingly being on the wall regarding Russell’s departure, the Lakers made a deal with him late in the process to bring him back in the fold, which has turned out to be a good thing for both sides.
One player who has gotten close to Russell since he rejoined the team back in February is Reaves, who talked about their strong relationship after practice on Tuesday via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.
Some more from Austin Reaves on his budding bromance with D’Angelo Russell pic.twitter.com/G6zFjAIx6w
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 17, 2023
Russell has had arguably the best preseason of any player on the roster, as he appears to be in mid-season form already, which is a great sign for the Lakers after he struggled during the NBA playoffs last season.
As Reaves put it, Russell is in a “great space” and is really confident right now, so the upcoming season could be big for the former No. 2 overall pick for Los Angeles.
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