The LA Lakers are not willing to offer D’Angelo Russell a max contract extension this offseason, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
Even though Russell is eligible to sign a two-year, $67.5M extension by June 30, the Lakers will not pursue at the max number, McMenamin writes. Instead, they could negotiate a new deal on the range of $18M to $23M per season.
D’Angelo Russell played 34 games with the Lakers since joining the team in February and was a starter in 33 of them, helping the franchise have a remarkable postseason run and reach the Western Conference Finals.
However, he averaged just 6.3 points on 32% from the field (13.3% from 3) and 3.5 assists in the four-game sweep to the Denver Nuggets and the Lakers are not inclined to keep him with such a lucrative contract.
The point guard position will be a priority for the team this offseason, as the Lakers will look to remain a title contender in the West, especially if LeBron James returns for his 21st season.
