The Los Angeles Lakers finally made their big move, trading D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on December 29.
Finney-Smith is the quintessential 3-and-D wing who can also defend centers and forwards. The 31-year-old forward is hitting 43.5% of his 3-pointers this season, averaging 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists. He can also play center in small-ball lineups when Anthony Davis takes his customary rest.
Russell returns to Brooklyn, where he became an All-Star point guard in 2019. Milton takes his place as a backup point guard for the Lakers, who found their strides with Austin Reaves as their playmaker in the backcourt.
Reaves just dished a career-high 16 assists in the Lakers’ 132-122 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday, December 28, for their fifth win in six games.
The trade would likely improve the Lakers’ 21st-ranked defense.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lakers Trade D’Angelo Russell, 3 Picks for 3-and-D Stud: Report appeared first on Heavy Sports.