As the offseason approaches, NBA players are beginning to decide whether to test the free agent market, and according to the latest report from NBA veteran reporter Jake Weinbach, Lakers starter D'Angelo Russell has announced that he has turned down a player option worth $18.6 million in the final year of his contract to become an unrestricted free agent, seeking a long-term guaranteed new big contract in the market.
Russell's second season with the Lakers was a mixed bag, with a good regular season but a much worse performance in the playoffs, and this year is no different. After signing a two-year, $36 million contract last summer, Russell had his best season with the Lakers, averaging 18 points, 6.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 0.9 steals in 76 games while shooting 45 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from three-point range. But in the middle of the season, Russell had a rough time, averaging just 12.4 points and 5.4 assists per game.
When the Lakers faced the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs, fans were hoping that Russell would recover from his poor performance in the Western Conference Finals last year. While Russell did have some bright spots, shooting over 50 percent from the field and scoring over 20 points in two games, he still left a lot to be desired, averaging just 14.2 points and 4.2 assists per game in this series, shooting 38 percent from the field, 31 percent from three-point range, and 50 percent from the free throw line.
Russell's decision ran counter to the ideas of Lakers management, who had been trying to persuade him to exercise this player option, and then there was room to trade him. Although Russell has previously expressed his desire to return to the Lakers, he also pointed out that he intends to use any means to sign a worthwhile contract, and now that Russell has opted to jump out of the contract, it leaves interesting options for both parties.
Although Russell hasn't been doing very well in the playoffs, it is expected that there will still be a number of teams that will need a point guard this summer, including the Orlando Magic. The Magic's core players are all young, and despite being knocked out of the first round by the Cavaliers 3-4 in this year's playoffs, there is undoubtedly a bright future, and they have more than $60 million in salary space this summer, and Russell is likely to be one of their targets behind Klay Thompson and Malik Monk.
At the same time, the Lakers' situation in the free agent market has always been a mystery. Russell's decision with LeBron James on player options could be a key indicator of how much the Lakers will spend this offseason, with Russell and the Lakers still able to sign a new contract because the Lakers still have his Bird rights. But the Lakers will also face a hefty luxury tax penalty, as their total salary will likely exceed the second luxury tax trigger, but it will still depend on the new contracts of Russell, James, Christie (restricted free agent), Hayes, Reddish and Wood.
With the new collective bargaining agreement set to go into effect next season, the Lakers will be severely penalized by NBA rules if they trigger the second luxury tax line. Penalties include not being able to use a $5 million taxpayer mid-class exception, not being able to send cash in a trade, not being able to trade a first-round pick in seven years' time, and for a team that wants to win now, they clearly can't cross that red line. Now that Russell has made a decision, there are now several teams intent on poaching him from the Lakers, and if the Lakers want to keep the point guard, then they may need to have a lot of money on their side.