Free-agent guard appears to be part of Lakers' future plans

D'Angelo Russell has struggled to find consistency since returning to the Los Angeles Lakers. After rejoining the team that originally drafted him in February, Russell was in and out of his team's rotation. However, before injuries began to shackle Russell's on-court impact, he was thriving alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Russell is likely to return to the Lakers on a new contract next season.

"When league insiders speak about next year’s team, D’Angelo Russell is usually included," Woike wrote. "He’ll hit unrestricted free agency after a disappointing conference finals, but his value to the Lakers extends beyond the team having his Bird rights, which allows them to re-sign a player while exceeding the salary cap. He had enough big moments in the postseason and in the push to the playoffs, when he wasn’t fighting injuries, for the team to re-sign him."

When healthy, Russell is exactly the type of guard the Lakers need. He can score from all three levels, initiate the offense and operate as an off-ball scorer. In 17 regular-season games for the Lakers, Russell averaged 17.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, shooting 41.4% from deep and 55.5% from two-point range. 

If he can produce those numbers while still learning the offense and getting to know his teammates, imagine what he can do after a full offseason. The Lakers also have other priorities in free agency, most notably retaining fan favorite Austin Reaves. Russell also projects to be the best guard available to the Lakers this summer. 

Rob Pelinka made the decision to acquire Russell, knowing his contract would expire. Russell bet on himself, earning a new deal with the Lakers. Injuries aside, he has earned his shot. The Lakers were a better team with him in their rotation. If the Lakers want to make another run at a championship, they could do far worse than their former second-overall draft pick from 2015.