A locker room grudge that once rocked the Los Angeles Lakers has resurfaced, casting a shadow over a headline-grabbing $13 million move by the Dallas Mavericks. The NBA’s summer free agency period is rarely short on drama, but few storylines are as enduring—or as personal—as the rift between Nick Young and D’Angelo Russell.

While most fans remember the infamous 2016 incident, few realize just how deeply it fractured the Lakers’ chemistry in the years that followed. After Russell secretly recorded Young admitting to infidelity—leading to Young’s public breakup with Iggy Azalea and both players’ departures from Los Angeles—the Lakers front office reportedly viewed Russell as too immature to lead a rebuilding roster. The incident didn’t just end a friendship; it altered the trajectory of a franchise that had already been in turmoil. And it seems the ghosts of pasts are still haunting Young when it comes to Russell.

On a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, Swaggy P was asked for his reaction to the Mavericks signing DLo. “Oh, man, they gonna lose, man. Can’t have fun. I can’t trust my locker room camera,” Young quipped, a pointed reference to the betrayal that derailed both their Lakers tenures.

Now, the Mavericks’ move to acquire Russell—a two-year deal using the taxpayer mid-level exception—is seemingly designed to stabilize their backcourt while Kyrie Irving recovers from an ACL tear. But Young’s comments suggest that old wounds still linger. The bitterness isn’t just for show.

Young has repeatedly revisited the feud on social media and podcasts, even delivering a brutal send-off after Russell’s trade from the Lakers to the Nets: “AND STAY OUT… Dnt bring yo a– back to LA,” he posted, underscoring that forgiveness remains elusive.

In a November 2024 appearance on Gil’s Arena, Young revealed that Lakers management and security physically kept him away from Russell after the video leak. Even reportedly threatening to dock his pay if he retaliated. Despite Russell’s public apology and insistence that he didn’t leak the video, Young claims the damage was irreparable. Both to his personal life and to the team’s trust.

It seems though, Mavericks could not care less for personal feuds when it comes to a player like DLo. And let’s not forget the subsequent move that the Mavs made.

It’s not just D’Angelo Russell that the Mavericks are counting on

The Mavericks aren’t just pinning their hopes on a single new face. Free agent guard Dante Exum is officially back, agreeing to a one-year deal with the team, as reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania. At 29, Exum reportedly weighed offers from multiple contenders before choosing to reunite with Dallas on Wednesday.

His return doesn’t just add another name to the roster—it reinforces a backcourt that’s going through a bit of a makeover. Alongside Exum, the Mavs have also brought in D’Angelo Russell on a two-year, $13 million deal. And with Kyrie Irving sidelined as he recovers from a torn ACL suffered in March, depth and chemistry are more important than ever.

Exum, once the fifth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, wrapped up his ninth NBA season this past year, marking his second go-around with Dallas. He contributed 8.7 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 rebounds across 20 games, shooting an impressive 47.8 percent from the field and 43.4 percent from deep. Russell, also 29, is expected to lead the offense until Irving is back.

Clearly, Mavericks are focused on future than the mistakes of past but it seems the move cannot shake Nick Young’s opinion of DLo.