Los Angeles Lakers

What Is D'Angelo Russell's Future With Los Angeles Lakers?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:04 p.m. ET

Fansided, Quentin Haynes/FanSided via Hoops Habit

D'Angelo Russell has dealt with another up-and-down season for the Los Angeles Lakers. Should he remain the point guard heading into the offseason?

Two years out and the 2015 NBA draft class is still wait-and-see, notably No. 2 overall pick D'Angelo Russell of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Karl-Anthony Towns has made the leap as a second-year player, turning into a superstar and dominating the second half of this season. Devin Booker is coming off a 70-point performance and guys like Kristaps Porzingis and Myles Turner are playing well as new basketball "unicorns."

But some teams have dealt with the ebbs and flows of the young player. Mario Hezonja is basically unplayable in Orlando, while Emmanuel Mudiay can't shoot at all.

In Philadelphia, Jahlil Okafor has been a defensive nightmare, involved in trade rumors and losing playing time to fellow draft classmate and second-round pick Richaun Holmes.

If you remember Russell's lone season at Ohio State, you remember a lead guard with elite vision, moving the ball with ease, splashing threes from 30 feet with ease and using his left-handed stroke to evoke comparisons to Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

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After Towns, Russell was the clear No. 2 prospect in the 2015 draft.

The Lakers agreed, taking him over Duke's Okafor. Since then, it hasn't been easy for Russell in his first two seasons in Los Angeles.

His rookie season saw him deal with the final season of Kobe Bryant and his own scandal with Nick Young. He never got to fully run the show as Los Angeles closed out the Bryant era.

Combine that with lackluster head coach Bryon Scott never fully trusting him, Russell's rookie season was was forgettable: 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 41 percent shooting in 48 starts.

This season, things haven't improved. Russell is still struggling to break above-average efficiency. He hasn't imposed his will like he did as a freshman at Ohio State and head coach Luke Walton even had him come off the bench for Jordan Clarkson.

Heading into his age-21 season and third year into the league, should the Lakers continue to keep him or use him as potential trade bait?

The answer is yet to be determined. On the surface, D'Angelo Russell is averaging 15.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He's had moments where he looked unstoppable and moments where he looked like a second-year player.

His defense, a weakness coming out of Ohio State, has continued to plague his career. Russell's DRPM is minus-1.84, 71st among 89 ranked point guards.

While possessing the size to defend point guards, he struggles to keep the best of the best in front of him, while dozing off when defending off the ball. Per 82games.com, the Lakers are 4.0 points better — 116.8 on court/112.9 off the court — with Russell off the floor.

The second issue is that for all of his creation ability, Russell has never fully grasped the reins of that Los Angeles Lakers roster.

Last season was understandable, but this year, even with volume shooters like Nick Young and Lou Williams on the roster, Russell was never able to fully run the show and show the long-term results you wanted.

Part of that is Los Angeles doesn't have the big men for Russell. Around a guard like Russell, you ideally want wings who can catch and shoot and big men who can run pick and roll and dive to the rim. The Lakers have none of that.

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Guys such as Timofey Mozgov, Julius Randle and Ivica Zubac just aren't the big men ideal for Russell.

On the other side: Russell's per-36 numbers are solid, averaging 20.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.1 assists. He's also knocking down 36 percent of his threes while taking 7.7 attempts. The list of players to do that between the ages of 18 and 20? LeBron James. That's the entire list.

If Russell can maintain his averages, he would be the second.

In playing Russell off the ball, the Lakers have figured something out in his game. Removing all of the creation duties from him allows him to take advantage of his scoring ability while providing solid playmaking.

With two elite point guard prospects coming in the draft, the Lakers selecting one of Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball and placing them alongside Russell would be interesting.

For now, the Lakers should keep Russell and continue to see him as a key piece in the future. If he can smooth out his defensive issues, he can be a talent player and a talented creator with talent around him.