Veteran point guard D'Angelo Russell appears to have aired out some of his frustrations over his role with the Mavericks from last season.
Needing backcourt production with Kyrie Irving on the mend due to a rehabbing knee injury, the Dallas Mavericks used cap flexibility last offseason to add free agent veteran D'Angelo Russell.
The term "stop-gap" was used regularly in response, as many thought the tenured point guard would provide stable scoring and playmaking until Irving was able to return for a hopeful push toward playoff contention.
However, as the Mavs' season spiraled out of control early on, Russell was ultimately dealt at the trade deadline in the move that also sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards.
Russell appeared in 26 games, starting three, for the Mavs last season. He posted averages of 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 19 minutes per game (a career low).
His handful of quality games spoke higher of his production, even though it appeared the Mavs did not think the same before his trade.
Russell set the single-season franchise record with three games of at least 20 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench.
Fans online have resurfaced some of Russell's highlights ahead of his next stop. The 11-year vet did not appear for the Wizards last season and has since been flipped to the Memphis Grizzlies.
In response to impressions about his production in limited opportunities, Russell issued a quote that tells the story of his frustrations in Dallas:
"Bird can't fly in cage," he wrote Wednesday on social media.
Exactly who Russell is criticizing for his mismanagement is uncertain, but it's hard not to question the connection to former Mavs coach Jason Kidd, who parted ways with the franchise at the end of the year after five seasons.
In just the six games where Russell registered over 25 minutes last season, he averaged 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. That sample includes each of his 20-5-5 games.
Russell's last game for the Mavs came on Jan. 10, an 18-minute showing against the Chicago Bulls in which he scored eight points.
For the next 12 Mavericks games, Russell was absent. In eight of those games, Russell was listed as a coach's-decision "did not play". He was traded on Feb. 5.
If given a more substantial role - or at the very least, perhaps some clarity on what his role might've been before the season to limit a misunderstanding - Russell could have turned into a more reliable option at least until the end of the season. He was initially signed to a two-year, $11.65 million contract by the Mavs last July.
Dallas tumbled to a record 30 games below .500, but there remained positive takeaways from the 2025-26 season as a whole. They're largely dedicated to the debut of No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who took home Rookie of the Year honors after a collection of record-breaking performances.
In fact, some of Russell's disgruntledness could be tied directly to Flagg.
Kidd threw the teenager into the deep end when he started the season with Cooper at point guard, an experiment that resulted in Dallas having one of the worst offensive ratings in the league.
That might not have been the case if Russell had begun the year as the primary ball-handler, a role he likely thought he was taking on after his signing.
"D-Lo" has since been flipped to the Memphis Grizzlies, a team entering a new era with No. 3 overall rookie Cameron Boozer and without former All-Star point guard Ja Morant.
In Dallas, Dusty May is appointed the new head coach as he enters his first NBA position. The Mavs are expecting to have Irving back healthy for the start of training camp, though the backcourt depth remains a concern.
Young scoring guard Marcus Sasser was added in the trade that also acquired stretch big Santi Aldama. But later, second-year floor general Ryan Nembhard was sent to Atlanta in exchange for project wing Zaccharie Risacher.
Dallas is hoping to get quality minutes out of rookie guard Sergio De Larrea, the No. 25 pick in this year's draft who has flashed crafty playmaking and maturity this summer.
