Don't expect D'Angelo Russell to play for the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Memphis Grizzlies have been predicted to part ways with D'Angelo Russell by NBA writer Abbas Bokhari of Beale Street Bears.
Memphis acquired Russell from the Washington Wizards.
Russell will make $5.9 million next season in the final year of his contract. He's better suited to play for a winning team at this stage of his career.
A one-time All-Star, Russell played in 26 games with the Dallas Mavericks last season before getting traded to the Wizards in the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade. Russell, like Davis, didn't appear in a game with Washington.
D'Lo finished last season with averages of 10.2 points and 4.0 assists per game with Dallas.
Russell has played for the Los Angeles Lakers (twice), Brooklyn Nets (twice), Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Mavericks. He holds career averages of 17.0 points and 5.6 assists per game in the regular season and 14.2 points and 4.8 assists per game in the playoffs.
Russell went to the Western Conference Finals in 2023 with the Lakers. If the Grizzlies part ways with him, it will be intriguing to see where Russell is playing next season.
The Grizzlies are in rebuild mode after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz last season and Ja Morant to the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason. In the post-Morant era, the Grizzlies will be led by Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, GG Jackson and Karim López.
It will be a while before the Grizzlies make the playoffs again. However, at least they have a young building block in Boozer, who won the Player of the Year Award last season. The Duke forward averaged 22.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 55.6% from the field, 39.1% from beyond the arc and 78.9% from the free-throw line.
Russell has faced a diminishing role in recent years. He fell out of the Mavericks' rotation before being traded in February. The last time he appeared in a game and played over 20 minutes occurred in November.
With the Grizzlies being in a rebuilding phase, it appears unlikely that Russell will have a role in Memphis. There are numerous mechanisms that could be utilized to offload Russell's salary if desired. The Grizzlies have plenty of time and financial flexibility to be patient, regardless of the route they take.
If Russell were to reach the open market before the regular season, he would be doing so after a significant amount of free agency have already taken place around the league.
