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In the latest Lakers news, the team has reached an agreement with point guard D'Angelo Russell on a two-year, $37 million contract, as reported by Austin Brown and Aaron Mintz, co-heads of CAA Basketball, along with Antonio Russell. The contract also includes a player option for the second year.

Lakers News : Russell's Journey Back to L.A.

Russell, who was first drafted by the Lakers as the No. 2 pick in 2015, made his much-awaited return to Los Angeles in February of this year. This move was the result of a three-way deal between the Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Utah Jazz, with Russell taking the place of the outgoing Russell Westbrook.

 Russell's Performance Post-Trade

Upon his return to L.A, the 27-year-old demonstrated his proficiency, averaging 17.4 points with a 48.4% field goal percentage and a 41.4% three-point percentage. He also offered 6.1 assists in the 17 regular season games that followed the trade. The Lakers demonstrated enhanced form during this period, going 12-5 with a positive points differential of 7.3 per game. However, the high-tide phase experienced a bit of ebb during the playoffs. Russell's numbers slightly dipped, averaging 13.3 points on 42.6% shooting overall, 31% from 3, and 4.6 assists. Particularly, his performance against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference finals was less than ideal, averaging a meager 6.8 points on 32.2% shooting and ultimately losing his starting spot in the fourth game.

 Lakers Maintain Core Roster

Despite the hiccup against Denver, the Lakers won 18 out of 24 games towards the end of the regular season. Russell's contribution as a scorer and playmaker, alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, was instrumental in this feat. In the latest Lakers news, the team has mostly retained its core roster that made it to the Western Conference finals, including key players such as Russell, Rui Hachimura, and Austin Reaves. Moreover, the Lakers have added more depth to their roster, finalizing deals with guard Gabe Vincent, forwards Taurean Prince and Cam Reddish, and center Jaxson Hayes.