D’Angelo Russell became a Washington Wizard last week when he was included in the deal for Anthony Davis, but the veteran point guard might not stick around after being traded.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said Sunday that Russell won’t report to Washington yet.
“With D’Angelo, we’ve talked to him, talked to his representatives,” Dawkins said. “At the time, he’s not going to report as we try to figure out what’s best for him and us in our future.”
Russell and Davis were traded alongside Jaden Hardy and Dante Exum to the Wizards in return for Khris Middleton, AJ Johnson, Malaki Branham, Marvin Bagley III, two first-round picks and three second-rounders ahead of last week’s deadline.
The 29-year-old Russell is currently on a two-year, $11.6 million contract that includes a player option for the 2026-27 campaign.
Russell, who the Mavs picked up to fill in for Kyrie Irving as he worked his way back from a torn ACL, is putting up 10.2 points, 4.0 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game, though he hasn’t played since Jan. 10. He missed a few games because of an illness but was left out of the rotation in other games despite being healthy.
Russell perhaps hoped to return to being a valuable contributor in Washington, but now it appears he might have to do that for another squad. If the Wizards opt to move on from Russell, plenty of teams will likely be interested in picking him up, especially contenders looking for backcourt depth.
The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly were interested in trading for Russell ahead of the deadline, but wanted him to decline his $6 million player option for next season. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Russell “balked at the idea” of declining the option and signing for a veteran minimum.