D’Angelo Russell Signs With Shanghai Sharks After NBA Career Ends With Grizzlies Waiver

D’Angelo Russell is taking his game to China after spending more than a decade in the NBA. The former All-Star guard has signed with the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association, giving the 30-year-old a fresh start after a turbulent final year in the NBA.

The CBA announced Russell’s move on September 30, 2026. His decision came just days after the Memphis Grizzlies waived him, closing an NBA run that stretched across 11 seasons and several high-profile franchises. The 30-year-old basketball veteran arrives in Shanghai with plenty of experience and a recognizable name. He was once the No. 2 overall pick, became an NBA All-Star with the Brooklyn Nets, and later returned to the Los Angeles Lakers for another significant stretch of his career.

His final months in the NBA looked much different. Russell moved through several organizations in a short period, and his role had already fallen sharply during the 2025-26 season.

D’Angelo Russell Heads to China After 11 NBA Seasons

Russell / IG / The Los Angeles Lakers selected Russell with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Expectations followed immediately, but his first run in Los Angeles lasted only two seasons before the Lakers traded him to the Brooklyn Nets.

Brooklyn became the place where Russell produced his best NBA basketball. During the 2018-19 season, he averaged a career-high 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game while earning the only All-Star selection of his career.

That season changed how the league viewed Russell. He went from a talented young guard searching for consistency to an All-Star capable of carrying a major offensive role. His performance also helped Brooklyn reach the playoffs. Russell became one of the faces of a young Nets team before another major career change sent him to the Golden State Warriors.

His stay with Golden State did not last long. The Warriors traded Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2019-20 season, where he joined close friend Karl-Anthony Towns. Russell spent several seasons in Minnesota before returning to the Lakers in February 2023. He helped Los Angeles reach the Western Conference Finals that year and remained a major part of the team’s backcourt afterward.

His NBA career eventually took him to the Dallas Mavericks. Russell’s role there became much smaller during the 2025-26 campaign, which proved to be his final season on an NBA court before the move overseas. Across 655 regular-season NBA games, Russell averaged 17.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per contest. Those numbers show the production of a guard who spent much of his career as a starter and primary ball handler.

Russell’s NBA Role Shrunk Before the Grizzlies Waiver

Russell / IG / Russell appeared in 26 games for Dallas and made only three starts, averaging 19.0 minutes per game. His production dropped alongside his playing time.

He averaged 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while shooting 40.5% from the field and 29.5% from three-point range.

Those three-point numbers were particularly damaging for a guard whose value has often depended on perimeter shooting and offensive creation. With fewer minutes available, Russell had less room to overcome an inconsistent shooting stretch.

Dallas eventually moved him in February 2026. Russell went to the Washington Wizards as part of a three-team trade, but he never appeared in a game for Washington. Another move followed before Russell could settle into his new surroundings. The Wizards sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies in a six-team transaction during July.

Memphis ultimately decided not to keep him. The Grizzlies waived Russell in late September, leaving the veteran guard searching for another place to continue his professional career. Instead of waiting for another NBA opportunity, Russell chose a major role overseas. Signing with Shanghai gives him a chance to handle the ball, create shots, and become a central piece of a competitive team again.