Dec 28, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) and forward Christian Wood (35) trail as forward LeBron James (23) takes the ball down court in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

D’Angelo Russell and LeBron James stole the show in the Los Angeles Lakers’ recent home win against the Portland Trail Blazers. In one instance, the point guard even threw a bounce pass lob to ‘the King’ as the crowd couldn’t help but celebrate the moment. Despite the on-court brilliance, D’Lo expressed his disbelief soon after amidst the ongoing trade rumors.

The Lakers duo combined toward the end of the second quarter to regain possession. Following that, Russell dribbled the ball up the court during a fast break uncontested as James followed right behind. Sensing the talismanic figure’s presence, the 27-year-old threw him a bounce pass lob before James threw it down hard as the hosts took a comfortable 16-point lead. Soon after, the 4x champion also acknowledged the assistance of the 6ft 3″ guard as they shared their signature handshake on the court.

After the final buzzer, Russell reflected on that memorable instance, stating, “I mean, that’s what we all dreamed of doing. You go back to growing up, you practice moves, you try things in your backyard, never thought you would actually be able to get the chance to do it. Never thought I would be able to throw a bounce pass lob to LeBron James in the game”.

The seeming disbelief in his voice further clouded his future at the City of Angels. The franchise is allegedly exploring its options to run the backcourt with the likes of Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray becoming leading choices. So, the organization might well sacrifice the services of their 2015 draft pick to secure their future for the better.

Despite a slow start to the campaign, D’Lo’s performances went under a rapid improvement in recent fixtures. Averaging 27.2 points and 6.4 assists per game, he has become a lethal attacking option for his team in the last five matches. Yet, the Lakers reportedly remain far from being convinced, further shedding light on the ruthless nature of the NBA.

What’s next for D’Angelo Russell’s future in the NBA?

The Kentucky-born had to depart from the Lakers once back in 2017 before they re-signed him early last year. Since then, he has played a significant role in uplifting the franchise a bit as they qualified for the conference finals in the previous season. Building on that, the 2019 All-Star contributed as started in the team’s in-season tournament-winning run in this campaign.

In the post-match conference, he thus reflected on his second stint at the Lakers while sharing the court with James and Anthony Davis. “Trying really hard to give LeBron and AD the ball. You find yourself dribbling off your foot or looking crazy trynna force it but its like, you gotta be aggressive around these guys. You compliment these guys by being aggressive,” he revealed.

Recently, James had done the same for D’Lo as the 39-year-old reflected on the impact of the Lakers guard, stating, “It takes pressure off me and AD and then our other guys because of his ability to get points in bunches. He can run off three or four 3s in four or five possessions because of his ability to shoot the ball. So it’s key”.

So, the chemistry between the players remains unshaken despite the ongoing rumors. That’s why, it would be interesting to see whether the organization decides to sacrifice the bonding for more established names. All in all, the choice would become a crucial one for the franchise with the playoffs arriving fast.