"LeBron never trusted his way-up" - Skip Bayless sees bright side in Lakers trading D'Angelo Russell

The LA Lakers on Sunday, per ESPN, agreed to trade D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets. TV analyst Skip Bayless on X (formerly Twitter) responded to the trade and gave the Lakers a good grade.

Skip Bayless tweeted that he liked the trade. He went further to share his thoughts on how the team stands to gain from moving D'Angelo Russell.

"I like the Laker trade if only for addition by subtraction," Bayless said. "They got rid of DRuss's $18 mil contract, and LeBron never trusted his way-up, way-down play. Finney-Smith brings trustable 3&D. And I've always loved Shake - he can microwave off bench. Grade: B."

The deal sees the Purple and Gold move D'Lo alongside Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks. In return, they receive forward Dorian Finney-Smith and shooting guard Shake Milton.

Additionally, as Bayless pointed out, the LA Lakers have acquired a 3-point shooter and defense player (3-and-D) in Dorian Finney-Smith, who averaged 10.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Nets this season. This is besides his record of shooting at a career-high 43.5 percent from beyond the arc this season.

D'Lo was a regular in the starting five for the first eight games. He, however, got moved to the bench and, regardless, still averaged 13 ppg on shooting 38.6 percent from the 3-point line and 43.2 percent from the field this month compared to other months.

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Lakers to Nets trade for D'Angelo Russell has him 'excited'

The Los Angeles Lakers trade that sent D'Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets has gotten a response from the guard. D'Lo, per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, is excited to start afresh and revive his career with the Nets.

Former LA Lakers player D'Angelo Russell (1) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings guard Keon Ellis (23). (Credits: IMAGN)

Russel, who was in his second stint with the Purple and Gold, started 10 out of 29 games. It's also his second stint with the Nets after joining from the Purple and Gold, again, in 2017.

He had a breakout season in 2018-19. He scored 21.1 points and 5.2 assists, earning his first and only All-Star place while leading Brooklyn to the playoffs.

Joining the Nets ensures a guaranteed starting position, allowing him to mentor the young players on the roster. Ultimately, only time will reveal who gains more from the trade: Russell or the Nets.