EL SEGUNDO — As the Lakers wrapped up their Wednesday morning practice, Coach Darvin Ham said the team is in a “great space” ahead of what could be an eventful Thursday in light of the league’s noon PT trade deadline and their matchup against the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets later in the evening.
“You can’t worry about things you can’t control and you can’t focus on the unknown,” Ham said after practice ended.
The Lakers are coming off a 4-2 “Grammy” road trip – including three consecutive wins over the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets.
Their three-game winning streak is their longest stretch of victories since winning four straight in early December, a run that ended with the In-Season Tournament title game victory over the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas.
“What I know is we won three really good games in a row,” Ham said. “Guys are in a good place, we’re in a good rhythm. We’re gonna plan on getting some guys back healthy here pretty soon. Anything else, it’s irresponsible to speak on.”
Although Ham won’t address it, that won’t slow the deadline-related speculation that has been swirling for weeks.
And there’s one Laker whose name has been consistently mentioned in trade rumors over the past few months: D’Angelo Russell.
Russell’s name has been mentioned in the Lakers’ trade discussions, with ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reporting that the 27-year-old guard was brought up in trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks.
“I don’t care,” Russell responded after Monday’s victory over the Hornets when asked how he deals with the trade speculation. “Show up to work. That’s it.”
Since returning from a bruised tailbone, Russell has averaged 22.2 points (46.3% shooting overall, 44.9% from 3-point range), 6.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 16 games.
When asked if how he’s played over the last few weeks has given him peace of mind knowing he’s done everything he could, Russell alluded to his $17.3 million salary for this season as part of a two-year contract ($18.7 million player option for 2024-25) as a reason his name is brought up in a variety of trade scenarios.
“I can’t control that my contract makes sense to be traded,” Russell said. “Just play. You can’t control that.”
Russell waived his implied no-trade clause when he signed the two-year deal with the Lakers last offseason. He provided insight into that decision.
“I just thought it made sense,” Russell said. “I’ve been here before, I played for the Lakers before, so I know what the requirements are to be successful here: if you’re part of the future here you’ll be successful. If you’re not, you’ll get traded. And I’ve been traded before here. So, my approach is just a little different.
“I really just genuinely, humbly don’t care because I know I can’t control it, one. And, two, I just won’t allow my mind to go there.”
Adding to the uncertainty on Wednesday is the fact that Russell, who attended practice but did not participate, underwent a mysterious treatment for an undisclosed injury on Tuesday, as The Athletic’s Jovan Buha was among the first to report. Russell was not listed on the injury report for Thursday’s game, which was released later in the evening.
Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, Raptors guard/wing Bruce Brown and Nets wings/forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale are players the Lakers have reportedly shown interest in.
While speaking on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Wednesday afternoon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski discussed the Lakers’ plans ahead of the deadline.
“For [the Lakers], their calculus has changed in recent weeks with the re-emergence of D’Angelo Russell as their point guard,” Wojnarowski said. “Maybe three weeks to a month ago, he was very available. And I think the Lakers thought there might be some opportunities to upgrade on him. That isn’t the case right now.
“Players who the Lakers have had interest in: Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown, specifically with Brown, it’s really hard for them to make the money work on a trade without putting D’Angelo Russell in. And that doesn’t make sense for them.”
The Lakers, who enter Thursday at 27-25, have gone 10-6 over the last month. When asked if the team’s play during the recent road trip showed the current group should continue to be invested in, four-time league MVP LeBron James responded: “This is who we have, so there’s nothing else to talk about.”
When later asked about the makeup of the roster and whether changes need to be made, James responded: “It’s not a question for me. I love who we have in the locker room. And that’s all I worry about. I don’t get caught up in that. We’re gonna go out and prepare ourselves every single night no matter what it is. No matter who’s on this team.
“So it’s my job and it’s [Anthony Davis’] job as the two captains to make sure we keep the main thing the main thing. The main focus is now: Thursday’s game at home. And look forward to that matchup.”
KOBE’S STATUE
Before the Lakers take on the Nuggets, the team will unveil a bronze statue for late franchise icon Kobe Bryant at Star Plaza outside of Crypto.com Arena.
The unveiling of the Kobe Bryant statue will air live on Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum SportsNet+ beginning at 3 p.m., with the full ceremony available for viewing on the Lakers’ official website.
Public access to the statue will be limited on Thursday, but fans can visit the statue starting Friday morning.
“It’s well-deserved, the impact he made on the league and more specifically this franchise, this community,” Ham said. “Just his excellence across the board, on the court, off the court. It’s gonna be a monumental day. It’s very much well-deserved. Time to reflect and be thankful for everything he provided that we got to witness.”
NUGGETS AT LAKERS
When: Thursday, 7 p.m.
Where: Crypto.com Arena
TV/radio: TNT/710 AM
