Former Minnesota Timberwolves PG D’Angelo Russell was one of the more dependable players when he played at Target Center. But now, after being traded to the LA Lakers, it looks like he will be on the bench for a while. And that could mean he will not play in the next meeting between the Timberwolves and the Lakers.
Russell has played all of four games for the Lakers since that trade, but with his injury, he could be looking at missing anywhere from six games to 15 games. And that is unfortunate news for the Lakers, a team that acquired DLo knowing that he only had 26 games remaining on his current contract.
Looks like an inversion ankle sprain for D’Angelo Russell. Timeline to return will be dependent on severity
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) February 24, 2023
Grade I: 1-2 weeks
Grade II: 3-6 weeks
pic.twitter.com/1L9WvxEiK8
That could place the Lakers in a tough spot.
Lakers love DLo, so far
Early rumors indicated that the LA Lakers had every intention of re-signing Russell, a player that they believe can be the third leg of their NBA Championship trio alongside Lebron James and Anthony Davis. But part of that presumption was his arriving in time to help turn the Lakers season around. So far, since he has arrived, he appears to be doing exactly that as the team has won three of their last four games.
But the NBA Western Conference is all bunched up right now, and the Lakers have the Minnesota Timberwolves on the horizon twice before the end of the season. The Timberwolves will visit the Lakers on March 3, 2023, and that game now appears to be sooner than D’Angelo Russell will be back from injury.
The second remaining meeting between the two teams is set to happen at Target Center on March 31, 2023. DLo should be back for that game, which could have a significant impact on which of the two teams will be competing in the NBA Playoffs at the end of this season.