Mavericks pick D'Angelo Russell as Kyrie Irving's backup with $13 million contract
The Dallas Mavericks and free agent guard D'Angelo Russell have agreed to a two-year, $13 million contract, league sources told ClutchPoints on Monday night.
Russell, 29, came to an agreement with the Mavs quickly once the free agency window opened, as he had been seeking a new opportunity with a playoff-contending organization. He will immediately slide into a starting role with Dallas as superstar guard Kyrie Irving continues to recover from a torn ACL in his left knee late during the 2024-25 season.
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Before the free agency window opened, Russell was being heavily linked to the Mavs given his relationships with the players and staff.
Irving, who just recently agreed to a new three-year, $119 million contract with the Mavericks after declining his $43 million player option, is expected to return shortly after the calendar turns to 2026. All indications point to Irving being right on schedule in his recovery process.
The exact terms of Russell's free agency contract with the Mavericks were first reported by ESPN.
This past season, Russell played 29 games with the Los Angeles Lakers before he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in December as part of a four-player deal. Russell, Maxwell Lewis, and three second-round picks were sent to Brooklyn, as Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton joined Los Angeles.
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Lewis was waived by the Nets on Friday, and Finney-Smith opted out of his $15.4 million player option with the Lakers to become an unrestricted free agent.
After joining the Nets in the aftermath of his reduced role with the Lakers, Russell thrived as a veteran leader at the point guard position during his reunion with Brooklyn. In 29 games, he averaged 12.9 points and 5.6 assists per game. For his career, Russell has averaged 17.3 points and 5.7 assists per game while shooting 36.5 percent from 3-point range, making him the ideal sixth-man-like talent for Dallas to add.
The Mavericks will be Russell's fifth team since 2020.
Despite all of the consistent backlash executive Nico Harrison has received since trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers before the trade deadline in February, the Mavs will enter the 2025-26 season with high championship aspirations, especially after drafting Cooper Flagg with the first pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
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Flagg will hold a key role immediately during his rookie season next to All-Star big man Anthony Davis.
These two featured players will be joined by several other contributing forces in Dallas during the 2025-26 season. Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, Klay Thompson, and Naji Marshall remain on the Mavericks' roster, making Dallas one of the deeper teams in the league with this addition of Russell to the backcourt.
D'Angelo Russell's willingness to accept a small contract proves that he is willing to fill any role that is needed of him for a true contending team. Once Irving returns from his knee injury, Russell will likely be moved to the bench and lead the Mavericks' second unit during the second half of the 2025-26 season.
Related: Former Mavericks guard adds intrigue to LeBron James trade rumors
Related: Mavericks' trade proposal for LeBron James: Could Dallas work with Lakers again?
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