Can D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers find common ground?

Whether or not D’Angelo Russell is put on the trade block by the Lakers this season will surely depend on his performance.

Welcome to our Lakers Season Preview Series! For the next several weeks, we’ll be writing columns every week day, breaking down the biggest questions we have about every player the Lakers added this offseason. Today, we take a look at D’Angelo Russell.

No player on this current Lakers roster has a more complicated relationship with the front office than D’Angelo Russell. After playing a huge role for the Lakers in the regular season last year, D’Lo decided to opt into his contract this year — risking the possibility of once again going through what he did last season at the trade deadline.

But that’s not to say that’s exactly a horrid situation for both Russell and the Lakers. In fact, one can argue that there are far worse things a team can do than pay D’Lo $18 million this season. It’s just that this current situation the Lakers find themselves in puts both parties in a tough spot.

Russell is the Lakers’ most favorable trade asset but also their starting point guard. The 28-year-old is the team’s best 3-point shooter but also can be a defensive liability. Perhaps his best contribution to the table is that he makes LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ lives easier, but he’s inconsistent, which won’t work for a team with a minimal margin of error.

That’s why the biggest question for Russell and the Lakers this season is whether or not they can find common ground. Is Russell a long-term piece or someone who will just keep signing short-term contracts out of convenience?

Whether or not the combo guard will once again be on the trade block will surely depend on his performance this season.

What is his best-case scenario?

The best case scenario for Russell is for him to consistently produce as he did ahead of the trade deadline last season when he averaged 22.5 points on 48/46/85 shooting splits along with 6.4 assists. It’s not a coincidence that Los Angeles has a record of 24-7 when D’Lo scores more than 20 points. He’s at his best when he adds another dynamic to the Lakers’ offense by spearheading the offense, knocking down his shots and distributing the ball.

There’s also a scenario where D’Lo can thrive under JJ Redick’s system, especially since the latter said he plans to run more organized sets instead of random ones. If Redick can maximize Russell’s playmaking and shotmaking skills, then that’ll go a long way for him. After all, the question for D’Angelo has never been about what he can do on the court but his ability to show up when the team needs him to and make up for his flaws on the defensive end.

If Russell consistently produces at a high level, he can once again make the Lakers rethink their decision to trade him. It would even be better for him if he isn’t on the trade block at all, especially if the Lakers find a way to address the issues that come with having him as their point guard.

Ideally, Russell being a fringe All-Star or the team’s third- or fourth-best player throughout the season would do wonders for the purple and gold.

What is his worst-case scenario?

There’s nothing worse than Russell underachieving this season and that can only happen if his liabilities will be louder than his production. If, say, he averages below 15 points for most games and has a significantly worst shooting season compared to last year when he broke the franchise’s single-season three-point record, then that’s not going to be good for either him or the Lakers.

It also won’t be a good look on D’Lo if he continues to underperform in high-stakes games like the last two playoff series against the Denver Nuggets. Remember, the attention is always going to be on these types of games instead of a random one in January. And given Russell’s reputation, he can’t keep folding in these games to the point that his value depreciates. Especially not while he’s on an expiring contract year.

The absolute worst-case scenario is if Russell gets traded for the sake of being moved in exchange for pieces that don’t really improve the Lakers. That’ll be a big loss for both parties and the consequence of them not being able to find common ground.

What is his most likely role on the team?

While Redick has yet to reveal what his starting lineup would be, there’s no guarantee that Russell will be in it to begin the season. He and Austin Reaves weren’t exactly the best defensive backcourt last year so there’s a possibility that Gabe Vincent takes Russell’s spot if Redick wants to prioritize a defensive-ladden unit.

But either way, he will have a big role this season. He’s the best primary ball handler next to James and arguably the best shooter, so he’s going to see a ton of minutes right away. Russell will be in charge of spearheading the offense, getting Davis — who Redick said will be the hub of the Lakers’ system — involved and, more importantly, producing consistently on both ends of the floor.

Whether or not he does those three key tasks successfully will determine if he can find common ground with the Lakers moving forward.

You can follow Nicole on Twitter at @nicoleganglani.