The impossible has finally happened! Guess who just made the headlines with an eye-popping trade? It’s the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers nation finally has its prayers answered. Rob Pelinka ultimately pulled the trigger on a trade, sacrificing D’Angelo Russell‘s expiring contract. However, the news came at the most unexpected of times. After Lakers insider Jovan Buha indicated a slow and steady approach from the franchise, the Lakers fans braced for a prolonged waiting time on a trade. But they didn’t have to wait too long as Shams Charania broke the much awaited trade news.

Minutes after The Athletic’s Buha claimed,

“I’ve heard the Lakers have been patient with the trade approach relatively and it’s been more of them waiting toward that February 6 date,” the ESPN Insider made heads turn with his tweet. Shams reported, “The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed on a trade sending D’Angelo Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton.”

Buha surely couldn’t have been more wrong than this. However, it didn’t take long for the Lakers nation to jump on social media to celebrate the move.

Lakers nation celebrates D’Angelo Russell’s departure

The jubilation peaked with a fan commenting, “WE WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP OMG,” on X. It was definitely a sigh of relief. Many fans had urged GM Pelinka to trade D’Angelo Russell because of the guard’s inconsistencies. Now that the trade has happened, one of them felt that the Lakers are back on the road to championship contention. Something that had been in question for a while.

“Finney-Smith is a perfect fit for LA & DLo back to Brooklyn. What a fun trade!” wrote another fan. The 28-year-old guard entered the league as the 2nd overall pick of the Lakers in the 2015 Draft. Two seasons later, he was traded to the Nets, followed by stints with the Warriors and Timberwolves. However, when Russell returned to the LA side, it seemed like the cycle had come full circle. But that clearly wasn’t the case. Someone even amusingly asked, “Are the Nets now going to send him to the Warriors again?” Well, it doesn’t seem like such an unlikely scenario, though.

Meanwhile, a Lakers fan expressed their gratitude with a GIF and a comment that read, “DLo off my team.” In his 29 appearances, D’Angelo Russell averaged 12.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. His errors and lackluster performances even led head coach JJ Redick to change his role on the team.

“Hell of a trade for the Lakers,” declared a fan. “Vincent and Milton can better fill DLo minutes. Probably more touches for Reaves. And DFS is an awesome two way fit. All at a low cost!” With Russell out of the picture, the greater responsibility on the back court will certainly fall on Austin Reaves. The fan believes Gabe Vincent and the new addition can step up and take turns to support Reaves. The 31-year-old Finney-Smith, on the other hand, can provide depth to the team with his versatility.

The veteran is a classic 3-and-D player, maintaining a career-high shooting percentage of 44% from beyond the arc this season. According to the fan, the Lakers couldn’t have made a better move than this.

The franchise legend Magic Johnson, who recently gave a subtle hint for Pelinka to make a trade, also expressed his excitement about the move. Appreciating Pelinka’s action, he posted on X, “Laker Nation, I am so excited about the trade for Dorian Finney-Smith. He’s an excellent defender and 3-point shooter – just what the Lakers needed!” However, not everyone was on the same page.

Former NBA star Patrick Beverley also chimed in with his opinion, which was slightly different from the majority of the fans. The 36-year-old wrote on X, “dlo to Nets is good for him and the team. nets will be able to compete still. and he gets to hoop. Finney-Smith to Lakers idk about that tho.”

He’s unsure whether Finney-Smith’s inclusion will have a major impact on the Purple and Gold. For now, it’s all just speculation. Only time will tell how the trade truly works out. Do you agree with Pat Bev or are you someone siding with the Lakers fans? Let us know your thoughts!