Should the Brooklyn Nets keep D'Angelo Russell?

With the Brooklyn Nets giving a well-deserved three year contract extension to Spencer Dinwiddie, they have still not addressed a 6ft5, 198lb elephant in the room.

D’Angelo Russell.

The former Los Angeles Lakers guard is having a career season for the Nets, with career highs across the board, a new attitude focused on leadership (you should have given him more time, Magic) and a team that could make the 8th seed in the East, Russell is shaping up to be the player the Nets need.

The reality of the situation.

The reality of right now is the Nets can’t do anything at the moment, the collective bargaining agreement doesn’t allow teams to offer extensions to players on rookie contracts until the 6th of July.

But with Russell entering free agency in the summer, the Nets need to make a decision now, he’s due a big pay rise and has a $21.1 million cap hold, which directly eats at the team’s cap space to sign a max free agent next summer.

But why would signing a player having a career year be an issue?

Well, the 2019 free agency class is gearing up to be the biggest one yet, and the Nets are one of the front runners to capture some big names who may and are testing the marketing, including (but not limited to) Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving. And signing one or two of those big names and keep Russell would be a major issue. That list of players commands a one-year salary of at least $32.7 million, so to realistically get one, they’ll need to do some serious moving and shaking in the squad, or make Russell an unrestricted free agent.

Personally, I wouldn’t re-sign Russell, I’ve always liked his game, but the Nets have built a squad of role-players for this summer, and getting one or two of those big names should be the only thing they’re thinking about right now.

Who is interested in D’Angelo Russell?

Scouts have been fairly active around the Brooklyn Nets, with representatives from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves and Charlotte Hornets all attending Nets games in recent weeks.

This may be to scout Russell, but it could also be to scout the team as a whole, the Brooklyn Nets have been a surprise this season, and teams don’t really know what to expect when facing them it seems.

But if he was to be traded now, who would make a move and what could the Nets get for him?

The Phoenix Suns are a legitimate option, they need a point guard and Russell and Booker are very good friends, with the Suns player praising his game recently: “We’ve seen him since Ohio State and all the things that he can do. I mean, he has the ‘clutch gene.’ He has the ‘it factor.”

“I would love to play with him,” he continued. “He makes people around him better. He’s a dynamic player. He has the utmost confidence in himself that I don’t think will change ever. That’s why we have the relationship that we do.”

A trade with Phoenix may make the most sense on paper, does it actually work? To the trade machine!

A package of Josh Jackson, Dragan Bender (forgot he was still around), rookie point guard Elie Okobo, and the Suns’ 2019 second-round could be a decent option for both teams, the Suns would finally get a point guard (a decent one), while the Nets would add more role-players that could pick up minutes.

Other options include the Orlando Magic, a trade for Terrence Ross works financially and would give both teams a player they could utilise properly – and after asking the only Magic fan I know (Martin from the GG3x3), I can safely say every Magic fan would be fine with this happening.

I’m sure there are other options available, but these are the two I can be bothered to think of right now – let me know if you have any ideas.

So the only question that needs to be asked is should the Brooklyn Nets keep Russell, or let him go?

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