D’Angelo Russell Free Agency: Nets, Suns Among Likely Destinations

D'Angelo Russell Free Agency

Getty D'Angelo Russell of the Brooklyn Nets, who is in line for a huge free agency payday.

Following a breakout 2018-2019 season, D’Angelo Russell hits the open market as a restricted free agent and looks in line to see a hefty pay raise heading into next season. Russell is having himself a career year averaging personal bests in points, rebounds, assists, FG%, and 3PT%. As a result, Russell has played his way into the conversation to be a possible candidate for a max contract.

With a number of teams flush with cap space heading into the free agency period, it is almost a foregone conclusion that someone will step up to the plate and offer D’Angelo Russell a monster 4-year max offer, forcing the Nets’ hand.


D’Angelo Russell Free Agency: The Case For The Brooklyn Nets

The leading team to land Russell is the team that happens to control his free-agent future. Although the Nets were originally planning to dish out something close to $20 Million per year, Russell’s play will undoubtedly force the Nets to bump up their anticipated spending. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for the Nets who should have close to $50 Million in available cap space heading into next season.

Brooklyn has two distinct advantages in holding Russell’s RFA rights, first, they have the option to offer him, by far, the largest deal of any other team. Clocking in at a whopping 5 years and $178 Million, Russell’s max would be identical to Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. However, their other play would possibly allow them to save a bit of money and to wait for another free agent player to offer Russell their max of 4-years, $117 Million. Holding Russell’s free agent rights, the Nets could simply choose to match whatever contract Russell receives and keep him locked up in the black and white.

Although the Nets would ideally like to pay Russell less money, the fact of the matter is that he has cemented himself as the face of the franchise. The Nets, who have seen some volatile roster turnover since the Jason Kidd days, are likely more than willing to open up the checkbook and pay Russell the max, ensuring he stays happy and plays at his best level for the duration of his contract.

The Nets are by far the frontrunner to keep D’Angelo Russell and it would take an extraordinarily big unforeseen factor to make the Nets consider taking another path on their rebuild.


D’Angelo Russell Free Agency: The Case For The Phoenix Suns

While the Nets make the most sense as a free agent destination for Russell, the Phoenix Suns offer one of the more exciting options should they find a way to steal Russell from the Nets. Devin Booker has long needed backcourt help and while a Booker-Russell backcourt pairing would leave a bit to be desired defensively, it would make for some electric offense.

The Suns are flush with cap space and especially if they find themselves holding the top pick in the draft lottery, making a play for a max free agent to pair with Booker, Zion Williamson, and Deandre Ayton would make sense. With that sort of roster build, the Suns would have a chance to actually compete for a playoff spot almost instantly.

The Nets will almost certainly do everything in their power to keep Russell around and that almost entirely rules out the chance of another team snatching him up, even with a 4-year, $117 Million max offer.