Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell said he didn't think the Minnesota Timberwolves fully utilized his skill set when recently reflecting on his tenure with the club between 2020-23.
"I felt like I was held back there, honestly," Russell said to The Athletic's Sam Amick. "I just kind of had to be the third option. Some nights, I was a little more aggressive and was kind of being held back. So to be in a position now where I can kind of thrive and be aggressive, and it gets guys going, and where the team reflects off of anybody with that type of energy, it's fun."
The Lakers initially drafted Russell in 2015 before trading him to the Brooklyn Nets in 2017. Los Angeles reacquired him in a three-team deal ahead of February's trade deadline, along with forward Jarred Vanderbilt and guard Malik Beasley.
Russell said he expected a trade out of Minnesota this season, adding, "I felt like I was gonna outplay my (Timberwolves) offer, whatever they wanted to offer me." The 26-year-old is in the final season of a four-year, $117-million contract signed in 2019.
"I never asked out," Russell said. "I just felt that (I wanted out of Minnesota) in my gut. I never spoke on it. I never showed that; I just felt it. That's all."
Russell finished the 2022-23 regular season ranked third on the Lakers in scoring, averaging 17.4 points. He's recording 16.7 points, six assists, and 3.2 rebounds per game over Los Angeles' current playoff run.
"I would love to stay here, but I would have loved to be in Minnesota too," Russell said. "Wherever my feet are, that's where I'm gonna be."
