Tier 1
D’Angelo Russell
I know I just said I was trying to be realistic. And I know this would be a tough get considering D’Angelo Russell‘s restricted free agent status. But bear with me.
D’Angelo Russell has had a prolific season with the Brooklyn Nets that earned him an All-Star bid. Sure, those are much easier to come by in the East than in the West, but he was still very much deserving of the nod. Russell is posting 20.3 points and 6.8 assists per game while leading a feisty Nets team into the playoff mix.
He has his shortcomings, to be sure, but as a playmaker and potential second backcourt scoring option next to Donovan Mitchell, he could be prolific. Based on some of their interactions, they appear to have a good relationship with one another as well, meaning this could be an ideal match for chemistry reasons, too.
But why would an upstart Nets team give him up? Well if they’re looking to continue to grow from within, there’s no reason why they wouldn’t match any offer sent his way and retain him. However, after years of being handcuffed by poor financial decisions, Brooklyn finally has some spending power this summer and could be major players in free agency with sufficient cap space for two max players.
As such, they’ll face some tough decisions this summer on who to aim to keep and who to let walk. And if they want to add two max guys, and have the opportunity to do so, there’s virtually no way they’ll be able to keep Russell.
If such ends up being the case, the Jazz should be ready to swoop in. Adding a young and talented guard of his caliber could be a great step in elevating Utah’s backcourt and the team as a whole.