3 Lakers who can't be traded until Dec. 15

1. D'Angelo Russell

D'Angelo Russell was the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft to the Los Angeles Lakers and after bouncing around to the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves, Russell found himself going back to the Lakers at the 2023 trade deadline. On July 1, he resigned with the Lakers on a two-year $37 million contract.

Russell is also a very interesting case in the trade restriction since he re-signed with a team. When someone signs a veteran contract extension they can't be traded for six months but Russell was an unrestricted free agent when he signed that contract. Meaning that it was an extension but a new contract and why he can't be traded until Dec. 15. 

Russell is easily having one of his best seasons with the Lakers, averaging 17.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game while having .487/.407/.782 shooting splits. This is the second-most efficient shooting year of his career, and he is third on the Lakers in scoring and leads the team in assists. Above all, he is having his best defensive year of his career, which has been an area he's struggled in. 

With Russell playing like this, he has easily become the third most valuable player for the Lakers. When Anthony Davis or LeBron isn't playing, he is more than capable of picking up the scoring slack and playmaking slack when LeBron is out.

This means that if the Lakers really wanted to trade for a third star, it would probably have to be centered around D'Angelo Russell. He is a player who can play anywhere. With his efficiency from all levels of scoring and playmaking, he's the prototypical point guard in today's NBA. He can't be moved until Dec. 15.