"Your a** is through" - Nick Young hints D'Angelo Russell's antics on the bench marks final straw for Lakers exit 

Game 3 between the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets was filled with emotions, especially D'Angelo Russell, who failed to deliver. Last night, in a crucial game, Russell struggled to make a shot and finished with zero points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field.

The Lakers were on a mission to try and win Game 3 against the Nuggets. However, the supporting cast of LeBron James and Anthony Davis failed to show up as only Austin Reaves managed to score double digits. The other players had difficulty making shots all night long, especially Russell.

One thing that fans noticed was Russell's lack of participation in the team huddle. Fans noticed the one-time All-Star sitting on the bench eating a snack while the team was talking about a game plan. He was also the first player from the Lakers who exited the game.

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His former teammate, Nick Young, was aware of what the point guard did and decided to address the situation on Instagram. Young posted an eight-minute-long video taking shots at Russell and his actions on the bench:

"Nah man. It's over, dog," Young said. "It's over. Nah, this s**t is over. I wouldn't have just gone back to the locker room after the game. It's over for you. Your a** is through. I'm lost for words.

"If you ever want it to be over, you make sure it's over. That n***a just committed suicide. N***a just said, 'F**k it, I'm done.' I never seen no s**t like this."

Young didn't mention Russell's name in the video. However, he pointed out that two people in the Lakers likely won't be with the team the following season. "Swaggy P" said that one is a coach and one is a player. He mentioned that Darvin Ham's position as the team's head coach is in jeopardy after last night's game.

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Rumors point to D'Angelo Russell's exit from Lakers

The 2024 NBA playoffs have been stressful for the Lakers and their fans. So far, the team has not won a game since last year's playoffs against the Golden State Warriors. They were swept by the Nuggets in the conference finals and are on the verge of getting swept again.

Through all this, there have been rumors that D'Angelo Russell could opt out of his player option for the 2024-25 season and become a free agent. ESPN's Brian Windhorst further explained this rumor on his podcast "The Hoop Collective":

"It’s likely that D’Angelo Russell is gonna opt out of his contract, OK. Because the Lakers gave him a one-year with a player option and I would say it’s likely he’s gonna opt out of that and once he’s a free agent, they can’t really trade him," Windhorst said.

Russell signed a two-year, $36 million deal, with the second year as a player option. He'll miss out on the $18.6 million salary if he opts out in the summer.

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