On December 31, it was reported that the Lakers and the Nets had reached a trade agreement, sending Russell to the Nets for the second time in exchange for Finney-Smith and Milton. In response, Yang Yi, a well-known domestic basketball commentator, expressed during a live broadcast that Lakers fans would soon regret the decision, asking, "Why did we trade away Russell?"
Recently, the Lakers sent D'Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks to the Nets in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Milton.
Famous basketball commentator Yang Yi commented: "It is expected that it won't be long before Lakers fans start shouting, 'Russell is great, why did we let him go?' Russell is an athlete who, when he was with the Lakers, many athletes were like this, especially in such a high-traffic team. When he was on your team, you didn't think he was good, you thought he wasn't that great, and you even scolded him frequently. After he left, you realized that he was actually quite important. People in Brooklyn still consider him an All-Star, it's all about psychology.
Just as James mentioned earlier, now you've traded for Milton, who is a shooter, and Finney-Smith, who is known as a 3D player but is actually just average at 3-point shooting. The Lakers have always had the problem of having players who can defend but not shoot, or shooters who can't defend. Why are they unbalanced? It's because those who can shoot can't defend, and those who can defend can't shoot. So by bringing in two such players, especially one with a higher frontcourt who can also defend and occasionally shoot three-pointers, they need others to create opportunities for them.
This now means that, at least until the next trade, the Lakers have placed more pressure on James. Although Reeves can handle the ball, he is not a point guard capable of organizing the offense; he can only disrupt the game slightly while James distributes the ball. During the games where James needs to reduce his workload or doesn't play, you can see that Russell performs very well. When Russell is on the court, Reeves and James have three points to handle the ball, but now it's reduced to two points, with Reeves focusing more on finishing rather than organizing the offense. Now, you have to rely more on James, play longer, and perform better unless I can trade for a better ball-handler. If there are no further moves, the pressure on James is too great right now."
In response, netizens expressed various opinions, such as "The plot seems familiar, how did we get Hield?" "Hearing you say this makes me feel relieved." "No, are Lakers fans calling for Westbrook now?" "American Yang Yi hasn't spoken up yet, but Yin-Yang Master is already eager to perform rituals." "Doesn't it make sense? With Russell, we could beat the Kings without LeBron and score over 130 points in a single game. We've been talking about DeRozan and LaVine, but neither has come. This lineup really does depend on old James' form again." "If things don't go well, Rivers will take the blame. The trade has been made, and the ball rights have been given." "If Water Pull goes to the Nets as the main controller, due to holding the ball for a long time, the team not pursuing results, and no pressure to freely swing, various statistics will definitely improve. Don't be surprised, this is normal."