D’Angelo Russell’s girlfriend Laura Ivaniukas highlights son Riley’s basketball potential hours after Lakers trade veteran guard

Former Los Angeles Lakers star D'Angelo Russell's girlfriend, Laura Ivaniukas, took to Instagram on Sunday to showcase their son Riley's basketball potential. She posted the story just hours after Russell was traded from the Lakers to the Brooklyn Nets, along with Maxwell Lewis. In return, the Lakers received Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.

In the short Instagram snippet, the Canadian model highlighted her son Riley Jonas Russell's basketball skills. The two-year-old was seen shooting a basketball cleanly through a hoop on an arcade shooting machine while spending quality time with his mother.

Laura Ivaniukas shares a snippet of her son Riley's basketball potential

Laura and Russell will be returning to the city where they first met, as the couple initially crossed paths in New York City during New York Fashion Week in 2020. At that time, Russell was playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the couple first shared pictures of each other on social media in June 2020.

They have been together ever since and share two children: a son, Riley, born in Sep. 2022, and a daughter, Mila-Rose Russell, born on Aug. 9, 2024.

D'Angelo Russell 'excited' to re-join the Brooklyn Nets

D'Angelo Russell will be re-joining the Brooklyn Nets during the ongoing trade window, as he was traded to the East Coast in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton. This marks the second time he's been traded from the Lakers to the Nets, and Russell is hopeful for a similar outcome as his first stint with the Brooklyn team, during which he earned his maiden All-Star appearance.

The Los Angeles Times' Dan Woike recently reported on Russell's excitement about rejoining the Nets, as he aims to finish the 2025 NBA season strong and enter free agency with a big payday over the summer.

"Talked to someone close to D'Angelo Russell. He's excited for a new opportunity, obviously saw his role diminishing with Lakers. A MASSIVE few months for him as he heads into free agency this upcoming summer. Considering market for Tyus Jones last summer, could be uphill battle" Woike tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).

During his best year with the Nets, Russell averaged 21.1 points and 5.2 assists. As he returns to New York for the second time in his career, he’ll be aiming to replicate this form. Entering free agency in the summer, Russell has the potential to become a key player for the Nets, especially following the team's trade of guard Dennis Schroder to the Warriors earlier this month.