TORONTO — D’Angelo Russell has come full circle, traded from the Lakers to the Nets for a second time. But this time not as a hotshot prospect but a mature leader.
The point guard — acquired with Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton — met up with the Nets in Toronto before Wednesday’s game against the Raptors.
It’s a reunion not just with high school teammate Ben Simmons but with Brooklyn, where he played from 2017-19 and earned his only All-Star berth.
“It’s just like getting traded any time before that. You’ve got to adjust. So it’s been an adjustment for me, learning the players, learning the coaching staff, learning Brooklyn’s new ways,” Russell said. “A lot’s changed since I’ve been here. So just trying to adjust and jump right in with these guys.
“It’s a good feeling, honestly, to go back somewhere you’re comfortable, somewhere you kind of know the ins and outs a little bit. See some familiar faces. It kind of makes the process a little easier to adjust to. So, I’m just grateful for that.”
Russell hadn’t wanted to leave Brooklyn the first time, and seemed vexed after GM Sean Marks dealt him to Golden State in a sign-and-trade for Kevin Durant.
But at Wednesday morning’s shootaround, the once and current Net insists there was no hatchet to bury.
“Honestly, as soon as I left, I was kind of … I understood the business of it, because I was going somewhere that laid out an opportunity as well,” Russell said. “So it was no spite, no hard feelings there, nothing to really get over.”
Russell was averaging 12.4 points and 4.7 in just 26.3 minutes for the Lakers, primarily a reserve for the first time in his career. He’d come off the bench in 19 of his last 21 games, but has a chance to be a floor leader again.
The 28-year-old Russell said he hadn’t had a chance to drill down with Jordi Fernandez on how the coach planned to use him with Simmons. But he was looking forward to mesh his pick-and-roll style with his former Montverde Academy teammate.
“Finding a way to meet in the middle and find that balance, I’m just looking forward to it. Like I said, I’m just grateful to be here, and to see familiar faces is definitely a cherry on top,” said Russell.
“I mean, it’s a good problem to have as a coach, right? He dominates the ball as a playmaking guard as well — forward, whatever you want to say — so to be able to get out there and just meet in the middle and help his game and find ways he can help mine, but also help the team and make coach’s job easy as well, is something you don’t get that opportunity as often as you’d assume. So for me to have that opportunity now somewhere that I’m familiar with, I’m blessed to be here.”
Brooklyn waived two-way Jaylen Martin in a move first reported by The Post.
They inked former Princeton standout Tosan Evbuomwan to that open two-way spot.