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[Saba Sports News] D’Angelo Russell and Maxwell Lewis are set to make their Brooklyn Nets season debuts on Wednesday against the Toronto Raptors.
The Nets acquired the duo from the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, along with three second-round picks, in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.
Russell’s return to Brooklyn has been a topic of speculation since last season’s trade deadline, as the Lakers explored moving him.
The former No. 2 overall pick enjoyed his best years with the Nets after being traded to the team in 2017, averaging 19.0 points and 6.3 assists per game on 43/36/77 shooting splits over two seasons. He earned an All-Star selection in 2018-19 while leading the Nets to the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed.
However, Russell was sent to the Golden State Warriors in a sign-and-trade for Kevin Durant the following offseason, paving the way for Kyrie Irving to become Brooklyn’s lead guard. Now, Russell joins a rebuilding Nets squad as a veteran presence in the midst of a tanking effort.
While the 28-year-old may be motivated to perform in a contract year, strong play could conflict with Brooklyn’s draft positioning. Despite this, reports indicate the Nets do not plan to buy him out but could explore trading him before the Feb. 6 deadline.
Meanwhile, Cam Thomas has been ruled out of Wednesday’s game due to left hamstring injury management. Thomas returned on Sunday against the Orlando Magic after a month-long absence, scoring 25 points with six rebounds and five assists in a narrow 102-101 loss. Ziaire Williams is also questionable for the Raptors matchup, having been sidelined since Dec. 1 with a left knee sprain.
The Raptors, like the Nets, are in the race for top draft prospect Cooper Flagg. Toronto enters Wednesday on a 10-game losing streak, including a 54-point loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday—the largest margin of defeat in any game this season. In contrast, the Nets have had two days of rest and a new lead guard in Russell, who will look to make an impact following Sunday’s trade.