D’Angelo Russell Joins Shanghai Sharks After Grizzlies Release Ends Latest NBA Chapter
D’Angelo Russell is taking his basketball career in a completely new direction. After 11 seasons in the NBA and stops with several of the league’s biggest franchises, the veteran guard is heading to China to join the Shanghai Sharks.
The move comes shortly after the Memphis Grizzlies waived Russell, making the 30-year-old a free agent. Rather than waiting for another NBA opportunity, Russell has agreed to join the reigning Chinese Basketball Association champions ahead of the new season.
It is a significant career change for a player who entered the NBA with enormous expectations as the No. 2 overall pick in 2015. Russell went on to become an All-Star, played for the Los Angeles Lakers twice and spent time with the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks.
His most recent NBA season was considerably quieter. Russell averaged 10.2 points and 4.0 assists while appearing in 26 games for Dallas during the 2025-26 campaign, primarily working in a reserve role.
Now Shanghai offers something different. Instead of fighting for minutes in a crowded NBA rotation, Russell could become one of the central figures for a championship-winning CBA team.
D’Angelo Russell Joins Shanghai Sharks
Russell’s move to the Shanghai Sharks was announced ahead of the upcoming CBA season.
The decision arrives only days after Memphis waived the veteran point guard.
Russell had not actually played for the Grizzlies. His arrival in Memphis was part of another transaction in a career filled with trades and roster movement.
Washington sent him to Memphis in July, but the Grizzlies ultimately decided not to keep him on their roster.
That made Russell available to teams around the world.
The Shanghai Sharks moved quickly.
For Shanghai, signing someone with Russell’s combination of NBA experience, scoring ability and playmaking gives the club a recognizable international addition as it prepares to defend its championship.
For Russell, the move provides a chance to play a much larger role than the one available to him during the final stages of his latest NBA stint.
Why Did D’Angelo Russell Leave the NBA?
Russell’s move to China comes after his role in the NBA gradually became smaller.
He began the 2025-26 season with the Dallas Mavericks but spent much of his time coming off the bench.
Across 26 appearances, Russell averaged 10.2 points and four assists per game.
Those numbers were below the production he delivered during the strongest seasons of his career.
He also eventually fell out of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd’s regular rotation.
For a player who had spent much of his career as either a starter or important offensive option, the reduced role represented a major change.
Russell was later included in the trade involving Anthony Davis, sending him to Washington.
His stay with the Wizards never resulted in a game appearance.
Washington subsequently traded him to Memphis during the offseason, and the Grizzlies waived him.
That sequence left Russell searching for the next step.
Shanghai became the destination.
Russell Entered the NBA as the No. 2 Pick
The expectations surrounding Russell have been high since the beginning.
The Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft after his standout season at Ohio State.
Only Karl-Anthony Towns was selected ahead of him.
Russell entered the league as a creative young guard capable of scoring from outside while also creating opportunities for teammates.
His first Lakers stint lasted two seasons.
He showed flashes of the talent that made him such a highly rated prospect, but Los Angeles was going through a major transition following the end of the Kobe Bryant era.
The Lakers eventually moved Russell to Brooklyn in 2017.
That trade changed the direction of his career.
Brooklyn Produced Russell’s Best NBA Season
Russell’s first period with the Brooklyn Nets became arguably the defining stretch of his NBA career.
After an injury interrupted his first season with the team, he returned with a breakout campaign in 2018-19.
Russell became Brooklyn’s primary offensive creator and helped the Nets reach the playoffs.
His combination of scoring and passing earned him his first NBA All-Star selection in 2019.
It was the moment when Russell appeared to be fulfilling the potential attached to his draft position.
He averaged more than 21 points per game that season and emerged as one of the most important young guards in the Eastern Conference.
Brooklyn’s roster changed dramatically shortly afterward, however.
The Nets landed Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the 2019 offseason, and Russell moved to Golden State through a sign-and-trade arrangement.
His Warriors Stay Was Brief
Russell’s time with the Golden State Warriors lasted less than one full season.
The fit always looked unusual.
Golden State already had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as the foundation of its backcourt, although injuries temporarily created an opportunity for Russell to take on a major offensive role.
He put up strong individual numbers during his Warriors stint.
Still, Golden State eventually traded him to Minnesota.
The deal reunited Russell with Karl-Anthony Towns, his friend and the player selected one spot ahead of him in the 2015 draft.
Minnesota initially hoped the pairing could become an important part of its future.
Russell remained with the Timberwolves for several seasons before another trade changed his direction again.
Russell Returned to the Lakers
In February 2023, Russell returned to the organization that had drafted him.
The Lakers acquired him as part of a three-team trade.
His second Los Angeles stint immediately became more successful from a team perspective.
Russell helped provide shooting and ball-handling as the Lakers made a late-season push and reached the Western Conference Finals.
He remained an important part of the rotation afterward.
There were productive stretches, difficult playoff moments and frequent speculation about his long-term place on the roster.
Eventually, the Lakers traded him back to Brooklyn.
It meant Russell had now played two separate periods for both Los Angeles and Brooklyn.
His second Nets stay was much shorter than the first.
Dallas Became His Latest NBA Stop
Russell eventually landed with the Dallas Mavericks for the 2025-26 season.
By then, his NBA reputation had changed.
He was no longer viewed primarily as a young former All-Star with room to develop. Instead, he was a veteran guard expected to provide experience, secondary scoring and playmaking.
Russell appeared in 26 games for Dallas.
He averaged 10.2 points and four assists, spending most of his time in a reserve role.
Eventually, his minutes became less consistent.
He fell out of Jason Kidd’s rotation before being moved as part of the Anthony Davis trade.
It was another dramatic transaction in a career filled with them.
Russell went to Washington but never appeared in a game for the Wizards.
His next stop was Memphis, although that chapter ended before he played there too.
D’Angelo Russell Leaves Behind Strong NBA Numbers
If Russell’s move to China marks the end of his NBA career, he leaves with a substantial statistical record.
Across 655 regular-season games, Russell averaged 17.0 points, 5.6 assists and 3.3 rebounds.
He shot 42.7 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three-point range.
Those are solid career numbers for someone who spent time playing several different roles.
At his best, Russell was a gifted pick-and-roll operator with an unusual sense of pace.
He was never entirely dependent on elite athleticism.
Instead, much of his offensive game came from timing, shooting touch, changes of speed and the ability to read defensive coverage.
That style could translate particularly well to the CBA.
Why Shanghai Could Be a Good Fit
The Shanghai Sharks offer Russell something that had become increasingly difficult to find in the NBA: the possibility of being a featured player again.
Foreign players often occupy major offensive roles in the CBA.
Russell’s ability to handle the ball, shoot from three-point range and create for teammates could make him an important part of Shanghai’s offense.
He also brings extensive experience.
Russell has played in NBA postseason games, been selected as an All-Star and spent time around several different coaching systems.
At 30, he is also young enough to remain productive.
This is not necessarily a player arriving in China at the very end of his playing days.
Russell could potentially spend several productive seasons overseas if he embraces the opportunity.
Shanghai Sharks Are the Defending Champions
Russell is not joining a struggling club searching for relevance.
The Shanghai Sharks enter the next season as defending CBA champions.
Shanghai captured the 2025-26 title in June, ending a championship drought that stretched back more than two decades.
Their previous title had come during the era of Yao Ming.
Yao eventually became one of China’s greatest basketball exports, entering the NBA as the No. 1 overall pick in 2002 and building a Hall of Fame career with the Houston Rockets.
The Sharks’ return to the top of Chinese basketball gave the organization renewed attention.
Adding a former NBA All-Star immediately strengthens the intrigue surrounding their title defense.
Russell will arrive with expectations.
Shanghai has already proven it can win without him.
His job will be helping them stay there.
Brandon Goodwin Gives Russell Another NBA Connection
Russell will not be the only player on Shanghai’s roster with NBA experience.
Brandon Goodwin is also with the Sharks.
Goodwin spent parts of four NBA seasons in the league between 2018 and 2022.
Having another American guard familiar with professional basketball in the United States could make Russell’s transition slightly easier.
Adapting to overseas basketball involves much more than learning a new offensive system.
There are different rules, travel routines, cultural expectations and styles of play.
Even experienced NBA players sometimes need time to adjust.
Russell’s skill set, however, should give him a strong starting point.
Hassan Whiteside Was Part of Shanghai’s Championship Team
Another familiar NBA name played a role in Shanghai’s championship success.
Former Miami Heat center Hassan Whiteside helped the Sharks win the title.
Whiteside had a lengthy NBA career and at his peak was one of the league’s most productive rebounders and shot blockers.
His success provided another example of how experienced NBA talent can make a significant impact in China.
However, Whiteside’s future in the league has become uncertain amid the possibility of disciplinary action.
That makes Russell’s arrival even more notable.
He immediately becomes one of the biggest internationally recognized names associated with Shanghai’s upcoming season.
Is D’Angelo Russell’s NBA Career Over?
That question cannot be answered yet.
Signing in China does not necessarily mean Russell will never play in the NBA again.
Numerous players have competed overseas and later returned.
Russell will still be only 30 during this stage of his career, and guards with shooting and playmaking ability can remain useful well into their thirties.
A productive season in Shanghai could potentially generate renewed NBA interest later.
Much will depend on his performance, health and willingness to accept the type of role available if an NBA team comes calling.
For now, however, the focus shifts away from an NBA comeback.
Russell has committed to a different challenge.
A New Chapter After an Unusual NBA Journey
Few players selected near the top of an NBA draft experience a career quite like Russell’s.
He was drafted by the Lakers, traded to Brooklyn, became an All-Star, joined Golden State, moved to Minnesota, returned to Los Angeles, returned to Brooklyn and eventually passed through Dallas, Washington and Memphis.
That is an extraordinary amount of movement for one career.
Through it all, Russell continued producing.
He may never have become the franchise superstar some expected when he was selected second overall, but an 11-season career averaging 17 points and more than five assists per game is significant.
He also created memorable stretches with multiple teams.
Brooklyn fans remember the 2019 All-Star run.
Lakers supporters saw him contribute to a Western Conference Finals team after his return.
Minnesota received several seasons of productive guard play.
Now Shanghai supporters will get their opportunity to watch him.
D’Angelo Russell Gets a Fresh Start in China
D’Angelo Russell’s move to the Shanghai Sharks represents one of the biggest changes of his basketball career.
For the first time since entering the NBA as a 19-year-old in 2015, his professional journey is taking him outside the league.
The circumstances are very different from those surrounding his arrival in Los Angeles more than a decade ago.
Russell is now 30, an NBA All-Star with 655 regular-season games behind him and experience with some of basketball’s most recognizable franchises.
Shanghai is not simply offering him somewhere to continue playing.
The defending CBA champions can give Russell an opportunity to become a central offensive figure again and compete immediately for another championship.
Whether this becomes a short overseas chapter before an NBA return or the beginning of a longer international career remains to be seen.
For now, Russell’s NBA journey is on hold, and a new challenge awaits in Shanghai.
