After the Los Angeles Lakers traded Russell, Maxwell Lewis and three second-round picks to the Nets last month in exchange for Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton, he dropped 22 points off the bench in his season debut with Brooklyn in a 130-113 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Jan. 1.

Erik Slater: D’Angelo Russell on adjusting to his role with the Nets after his trade from the Lakers: "I'll never take being able to play free basketball like this for granted again."

The Brooklyn Nets will be without their lead ball-handler on Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns. D’Angelo Russell will be sidelined due to left hamstring tightness/injury management on the second night of a back-to-back.