The future of D’Angelo Russell looks distant from Memphis. Although the Grizzlies secured his services in the six-team trade that sent John Collins to Detroit, the point guard was not the primary target for Tennessee in this maneuver; more intriguingly, they also acquired Isaiah Stewart and three second-round picks. And after a few weeks, everything seems to indicate that he will remain with the roster for a long time.
Kelly Iko, a reporter for Yahoo Sports, confirms this by noting that the Grizzlies are expected to trade or even release the player at some point during the summer. Thus, the franchise and the guard will work together to find a new destination, but given his market value, the buyout appears to be the most probable option in a league that hardly seems eager to add his services.
The Grizzlies’ decision stems from the sheer number of players on their roster, which currently stands at 19 and must be trimmed to just 15 when the regular season begins. This makes it necessary for them to move several players, and Russell, who doesn’t fit particularly well with a young team that is still rebuilding, has been among the chosen ones.
D’Angelo comes off averaging 10.2 points and 4 assists in Dallas, where he only appeared in 23 games in a season marked by injuries and by disappointment both at the individual level and collectively. This led him to record the worst numbers of his career in terms of performance and availability, which raises many questions about what his role in the league could be during the 2026-27 season and how much he could contribute to a hypothetical new team.
