HOURS AFTER A midseason trade sent him to Los Angeles, D'Angelo Russell picked up the phone. It was Feb. 9, 2023, and on the other end was Lakers president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka, calling to welcome the 28-year-old guard back to the franchise that drafted him second overall in 2014.
Russell heard Pelinka say how vital his contributions would be in L.A.'s late-season push after the Lakers acquired the former All-Star in a deadline deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves. How he'd be relied upon to play point alongside his childhood hero, LeBron James, whom the Lakers were able to sign in 2018 thanks in part to the cap-clearing trade that ended Russell's first stint with the team.