D’Angelo Russell is a free agent again — his fourth team in roughly eight months, and this time he didn’t even suit up for a single game before moving on.
The Memphis Grizzlies have waived veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell, as the team dealt with a roster crunch heading into the fall, having carried 19 players on standard contracts. The move gives Russell a chance to clear waivers before most teams begin training camp next week. The Grizzlies also signed undrafted rookie guard Brendan Hausen out of Iowa to help fill out the roster.
A whirlwind offseason
Russell, 30, began last season with the Dallas Mavericks but was traded twice since — first to Washington as part of the Anthony Davis deal in February, then to Memphis over the summer as part of a massive six-team trade. He never actually played a game for either the Wizards or the Grizzlies.
The writing had been on the wall for weeks. Reports back in July indicated the two sides were already working to find Russell a new home, and Memphis simply didn’t have a spot for him on a young, rebuilding roster centered around No. 3 pick Cameron Boozer, Zach Edey, and the aftermath of trading away Ja Morant.
Memphis remains on the hook for Russell’s expiring $5.97 million salary, which was fully guaranteed, so the Grizzlies absorb that cost as they continue trimming down to a 15-man roster for opening night.
A steep fall for a former All-Star
It’s a rough stretch for a player who was once considered a franchise cornerstone. In 11 NBA seasons across five organizations, Russell has averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds over 655 games, and was named an All-Star in 2019 with the Brooklyn Nets. His last strong season came in 2023-24 with the Lakers, when he averaged 18 points and five assists a game, but he’s bounced around considerably since. Last season with Dallas, he averaged just 10.2 points and 4.0 assists across 26 games — a career-low stretch that made him expendable in trade after trade.
What’s next
Russell is reportedly hoping to land with a playoff contender. With training camps opening in the coming days, he’ll need to move quickly to catch on somewhere before the start of the regular season — likely on a minimum contract as a veteran depth piece and 3-point shooter for a team looking for backcourt insurance.
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