Clearing all free agency rumors in the summer, D’Angelo Russell was settling in with the Lakers this season when a sudden move took him straight to the East, back to his former franchise—something no one had anticipated. Faced with the challenge of restarting and dealing with self-doubt, DLo received support from an ex-teammate, who reached out with a long phone call to offer some guidance and reassurance.

During the latest episode of ‘Off Guard with Austin Rivers’, the host shared a conversation he had with DLo following his transition. “I was talking to D’Angelo Russell yesterday for like an hour on the phone,” Rivers said. The new Nets guard opened up to Rivers, asking about his retirement and sharing his own uncertainty, saying, “I’m in Brooklyn now and I don’t know if they’re waving me or not.”

The former Clipper then shared his own experience of not being picked up by teams after his stint with the Timberwolves. “Bro, listen, I was really nervous about when I didn’t get picked up,” Rivers said. A lot was going on in his mind after the 2022-2023 season. The former guard watched as players with less caliber than himself continued to survive in the league while he stayed out. During that time, he spent more time with his family, and that’s when he realized that he couldn’t recall half of his own shots but when it came to his children, he vividly remembered their first basket. His Family is what helped him move on from that difficult phase.

With his own experience in mind, he shared a piece of valuable advice with Russell. “I told DLo, I was like, bro, it’s actually not as bad, man. When you have security in yourself and you have a family and you just had a second child, I was like, you start to like, you understand, like, bro, it’s everything. I’m right where I’m supposed to be at, man.” Their conversation didn’t end there. Rivers offered more insights that he believed would guide DLo through the challenges ahead in Brooklyn.

Former teammate advices D’Angelo Russell “don’t say a word”

Being familiar with D’Angelo Russell’s talent from their Minnesota days, Rivers consoled him by saying, “DLo, listen, man, no one doubts your talent.” However, Rivers also pointed out something that could create difficulties for him with the Nets.

Rivers already clarified that he didn’t consider this a bad thing, but he felt DLo believed, “‘I don’t think that too many players are better than me.'” The 32-year-old explained, “I go D-Lo, do you want to play six more years? You want to play three? I’m telling you right now, I go, if you go to Brooklyn, don’t say a word. The coach you’re playing for, I played for him (Jordi Fernandez).”

Rivers suggested that DLo should talk to the new coach and work with him. “You need to go in there. You’re the, one of the older ones in that locker room. They’re trying to rebuild. They’re trying to revamp the whole organization. You have familiarity there. You’re an all-star here. All right. You’re coming back. Be that guy. They’ll bring you off the bench, come off the bench and hoop. They start you, you start. This isn’t going to be the place where you end up man, long-term.”

During his short time with Denver, Rivers learned that Fernandez was a defensive-minded coach and a good man. While Russell hadn’t been known for his defensive play, Rivers encouraged the 28-year-old to adjust for the time being till he enters free agency. Following this season, Russell will be a free agent. So, if he heeds Rivers’ suggestion by that time, it could certainly work in his favor.