D’Angelo Russell entered the offseason facing questions about his future after joining a Washington Wizards team that won just 17 games. The former Lakers No. 2 overall pick has now made a major career decision that clarifies his next step in the NBA.
Russell’s choice comes at a pivotal point in his career, as the veteran guard weighs stability, opportunity and the challenge of helping reshape one of the league’s youngest rebuilding teams.
Russell Opts Into Wizards Deal Worth $6 Million
Russell, 30, exercised his player option with Washington on Thursday, locking in approximately $5.97 million for the 2026-27 season, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer. The decision came before the June 24 deadline and ends months of uncertainty that began when Russell was acquired by the Wizards in a February 2026 multi-team deal involving Anthony Davis.
His arrival in Washington was complicated. Russell did not immediately report after the trade, and Wizards general manager Will Dawkins acknowledged the awkward dynamic. The two sides were working to determine “what’s best for him and us and our future,” Dawkins said, according to The Athletic. Dawkins had originally indicated that Washington may buy Russell out of his contract.
With a weak buyout market and limited trade interest materializing, the $6 million guarantee became the safest financial outcome, and Russell took it. Reports from earlier this spring indicated teams like the Milwaukee Bucks had interest but preferred Russell to decline the option and accept a veteran-minimum deal. He declined to opt out.
His 2025-26 numbers with the Dallas Mavericks were 10.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game across 26 appearances. His role had shrunk considerably. He shot 40.5 percent from the field and just 29.5 percent from three, a significant dip from the shooting efficiency that made him a sought-after scorer throughout his career.
D’Angelo Russell’s Path From Los Angeles
Russell was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, selected by the Los Angeles Lakers out of Ohio State after averaging 19.3 points per game in his lone college season. He was named a consensus All-American, and the expectations that came with that pedigree followed him for a decade.
His first exit from Los Angeles, in 2017, was complicated. A Snapchat video Russell recorded in which teammate Nick Young admitted to cheating on then-fiancée rapper Iggy Azalea surfaced publicly and fractured the Lakers’ locker room. The scandal effectively ended Russell’s time as a Laker. He went to Brooklyn and eventually broke out, earning an All-Star selection in 2018-19 after posting a career-high 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game.
He returned to the Lakers for a second stint in 2023 and delivered a 44-point outburst against the Milwaukee Bucks, a franchise single-season 3-point record and a Western Conference finals run. Then, in December 2024, the Lakers traded him to Brooklyn again, this time for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, moves that addressed defensive versatility and freed up significant luxury-tax space.
Russell’s career averages stand at 17.0 points, 5.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds over 655 games across six franchises. The Wizards, who own the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23 and are building around Anthony Davis, Trae Young and a deep collection of young talent, represent his most uncertain landing spot yet. But at least for now, he is choosing to stay there.
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