D'Angelo Russell Is Out of the Picture in Dallas - And a Trade Feels Inevitable
Things have reached a breaking point between D’Angelo Russell and the Dallas Mavericks.
When the Mavs signed Russell on the opening night of free agency, the move was seen as a calculated, low-risk swing. With Kyrie Irving sidelined indefinitely due to an ACL tear, Dallas needed a temporary solution at guard - someone who could handle the ball, create shots, and keep the offense afloat until Irving returned.
Russell, a proven scorer with playmaking chops, seemed like a logical fit. He came at a bargain price, too - under $6 million annually.
But here we are, months later, and Russell has gone from stopgap starter to complete afterthought. He’s not just out of the starting lineup - he’s out of the rotation entirely. Jason Kidd has made it clear with his decisions: Russell is not part of the plan, even in blowouts, even when the roster is depleted.
Thursday night in Utah was the clearest sign yet.
The Mavericks rolled to a 144-122 win over the Jazz, despite missing a laundry list of players - Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Dante Exum, Dereck Lively II, and Moussa Cisse were all unavailable. In a game where Dallas needed bodies, Russell didn’t log a single second.
Instead, the Mavs handed 22 minutes to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, who had just signed a 10-day contract the day before. That’s not just a rotation choice - that’s a message.
Russell’s disappearance has been swift and stark.
He played less than 24 combined minutes over his first two games in Dallas. Since then, he’s been a DNP-CD (Did Not Play - Coach’s Decision) in six of the last seven games.
Over the past month, he’s appeared in just five games, totaling 69 minutes. That’s not a slump - that’s a shutdown.
To be fair, Russell’s fit in Dallas was always going to be a bit awkward. He’s a ball-dominant guard who struggles defensively, and the Mavericks’ system under Kidd demands buy-in on both ends. Still, completely removing him from the rotation - especially when the team is short-handed - raises eyebrows.
And it raises a bigger question: what exactly is Dallas doing with him?
Because if the endgame is to trade Russell - and all signs point in that direction - benching him doesn’t help. It’s hard to generate interest in a player who isn’t seeing the floor.
Other teams want to see if he can still contribute, if he’s still capable of running an offense or knocking down shots in rhythm. Right now, they’re not getting that chance.
It’s not like Russell has been completely ineffective, either.
He’s had flashes this season - a 31-point outburst, four games with 20+ points - moments where his scoring ability reminded everyone of what he can still bring to the table. But those moments are getting buried under a growing pile of DNPs and disappearing minutes.
The Mavericks are in a tough spot. They took a swing on a talented player at a team-friendly price, and it hasn’t panned out. Now, they’re stuck with a veteran guard who isn’t playing, whose trade value is slipping by the day, and who clearly isn’t in the coach’s plans.
At this point, there’s really only one way forward - a trade. Both sides need a fresh start. Russell needs a team willing to give him a real role, and the Mavericks need to clear the logjam and move on.
The writing’s on the wall in Dallas. The Russell experiment is over.