The Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly waived D’Angelo Russell amid their roster crunch.
Earlier this summer, the Memphis Grizzlies acquired veteran guard D'Angelo Russell from the Washington Wizards as part of a larger six-team trade.
Now, his Grizzlies tenure is coming to an end before it ever truly began.
According to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania, Memphis has waived the 30-year-old.
The news isn't unexpected. The Grizzlies are facing a roster crunch, and Russell was never really seen as a long-term piece for the rebuilding franchise.
If any trade options involving Russell were explored before the team decided to waive him, those efforts were unsuccessful.
The end result for the former All-Star is that he will need to find a new team in the coming weeks if he hopes to be on a roster by the start of the 2026-27 season.
Bouncing around is nothing new for Russell. Since the start of the 2024-25 season, he has officially been a member of five different teams. Dating back to the start of his NBA career in 2015, he's never been able to get too comfortable in one spot without being moved.
But he may feel some relief about the idea of starting somewhere new ahead of the upcoming season, as the situation opens the door for him to possibly end up with a contending team. He has bounced around between a number of losing situations ever since the Los Angeles Lakers traded him in late 2024.
As a veteran who is capable of providing rotation minutes, Russell will likely attract some interest around the NBA.
However, he has struggled over the past couple of seasons. In the 2024-25 campaign, he averaged a then-career-low 12.6 points per game on just 39.0 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Then, last season, he made just 26 appearances and averaged 10.2 points per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 29.5 percent shooting from long range.
The dip in scoring can be blamed partly on the fact that his role has dwindled, but the efficiency remains a concern.
Wherever he lands next, he'll look to bounce back to his previous form. Even at his best, the former No. 2 overall pick isn't without his flaws, but his track record will likely be enough for him to get picked up by another team.
The Grizzlies, meanwhile, still have work to do in order to trim their roster down to the limit, which means more players will be on the move in addition to Russell.
