The Los Angeles Lakers have traded guard D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets.
As part of the trade, which was first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN on Sunday, the Nets are sending forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton to Los Angeles.
The Lakers are also shipping forward Maxwell Lewis and three second-round draft picks to Brooklyn.
Russell started 10 games this season for the Lakers, averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in 26.3 minutes in all 29 games he played.
The trade brings Russell back to Brooklyn, where he played in the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. He averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists for the Nets in 2018-19, and was named to his only All-Star team.
Selected second overall in the 2015 NBA draft by the Lakers, the 28-year-old Russell has also played for the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves and has career averages of 17.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
BREAKING: The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed on a trade sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, sources told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/V175zGtmKW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 29, 2024
Finney-Smith had started all 20 of the games he played for the Nets this season, averaging 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds. He is also shooting a career-best 43.5 per cent on 3-pointers, giving the Lakers a scoring threat from outside the arc.
Acquired by the Nets in a trade that sent Kyrie Irving to the Dallas Mavericks in 2023, the 31-year-old Finney-Smith has career averages of 8.3 points and 4.6 boards.
Milton, 28, averaged 7.4 points, 2.4 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 27 games for Brooklyn this season.
Lewis, 22, had appeared in just seven games for Los Angeles this season, averaging 4.1 minutes in those appearances.
The Lakers have moved up to first place in the Pacific Division, having won five of their last six games to improve to 18-13, while the Nets have lost nine of 12 to fall to 12-19.
