Recently, Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick made a bold move by moving point guard D'Angelo Russell to the bench and replacing him in the starting lineup with Cam Reddish.
It was a move that then-head coach Darvin Ham made last season and got plenty of criticism for. But this time, it has been working, at least so far. Russell, who shot poorly in eight games as a starter, has played better as a reserve, and in doing so, he has given a very weak Lakers bench a boost. The Lakers have won all five games they have played since Russell was moved to the bench.
As team insider Anthony Irwin noted, the former No. 2 overall pick is making a positive impact in his new role.
Via ClutchPoints:
For almost a full calendar year, he has been mentioned as trade bait for a number of players. But now, according to Irwin, the Lakers may soon become somewhat reluctant to part with him in a trade that could improve their roster.
The market for Russell, who made the All-Star team during the 2018-19 season and had a career-best effort last season, has been very tepid, and that presumably played a role in him opting into the option year of his contract over the summer. But some consistently improved play off the bench, combined with the fact that he's now on an expiring contract, may result in some interest in him from other teams within the next month or two as the trade deadline approaches.