Last July, Nets point guard D’Angelo Russell spoke about using the new five-year, $158MM extension signed by his good friend Devin Booker as “motivation” during the 2018/19 season. Seven months later, Russell has delivered on that promise, positioning himself for a huge payday of his own.
In the midst of a breakout season in Brooklyn, Russell is averaging career highs in PPG (20.3), APG (6.6), FG% (.436), and 3PT% (.372), among other categories. He earned a spot in the All-Star Game in Charlotte this past weekend, and has the Nets in position to make the postseason for the first time since 2015 — at 30-29, the club has already exceeded its win total from each of the last three seasons.
Russell, who will turn 23 years old this Saturday, is poised to hit free agency at the right time. Several teams around the NBA – including the Nets – have the flexibility to offer huge deals, and there are only so many star free agents available. For teams that miss out on the very best options like Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and Kyrie Irving, Russell may look like a tantalizing Plan B.
While the idea that Russell is a maximum-salary candidate may seem surprising, there won’t be many elite point guards available once Irving signs. Russell is six years younger than Kemba Walker and has emerged as a far more intriguing option than Terry Rozier. For a club in need of a point guard – like Booker’s Suns – an aggressive bid on Russell makes a ton of sense.
Of course, Russell will be a restricted free agent, meaning the Nets will have the chance to match any offer he receives. The two sides could also negotiate directly, since Brooklyn is the only team eligible to give Russell five years instead of four. A five-year deal could be worth up to a projected $158MM, while a four-year deal would max out around $117MM.
[RELATED: Maximum Salary Projections for 2019/20]
If the Nets are focused on veteran free agents like Leonard, Jimmy Butler, and Tobias Harris when July 1 arrives though, it could open the door for another team to swoop in and sign Russell to a player-friendly offer sheet (perhaps with big up-front payments and a trade kicker), forcing Brooklyn into a tough decision.
Given Sean Marks‘ history of pursuing other teams’ restricted free agents – such as Otto Porter, Allen Crabbe, and Tyler Johnson – and forcing those teams to match massive offer sheets, I expect there will be clubs out there looking to return the favor when Russell reaches restricted free agency. However, the ex-Laker has raved about his time in Brooklyn and may be happy to deal directly with the Nets rather than seeking out an offer sheet.
What do you think? Will Russell get a maximum-salary offer this summer? Will he sign directly with the Nets, or will Brooklyn be forced to decide whether to match another team’s offer? Would the Nets happily match a max offer? Do you expect Russell to ultimately remain in Brooklyn, or can you envision a scenario where he changes teams?
Head to the comment section below to make your predictions on Russell’s upcoming free agency.
Nets should re-sign Russell and chase Durant. Durant should seek to win rings elsewhere and him and Russell would be a fantastic combination along with Jarrett Allen.
Brooklyn becomes a contender.
He’s a knucklehead. They’ll be sorry if they invest 150 million in him.
The nets have a pretty clean cap sheet outside of Crabbe. A max deal for Russell wouldn’t be insane, they could also offer a Kyle Lowry like contract and see if he bets on himself to get another max once his years of service are higher
The reality is that the Nets will match whatever offer Russell gets. So, he’s going nowhere. It will be interesting to see if another team tries to “return the favor” so to speak and offer Russell a max offer sheet, and, if so, whether he takes it – or even meets with other teams. Most teams ignore RFAs until the real FAs are committed, and often after that, if the home team indicates they’ll match. But the Nets have been pests the last few years in focusing on RFAs from the start – it hasn’t netted them players, but has caused other teams to overpay.
There are a lot of teams with a max-cap slot for a player at the 27M mark. Teams that already know they won’t have a shot at any of the legitimate Max guys could go all-in on Russell banking on potential.
It makes sense on the slim chance the Nets don’t match. I’d rather give Russell the 25% max than Kemba Walker the 30% max. 23-year old (vs 29-year old) AS players (even as a replacement) don’t become available in the ordinary course. The system is designed to prevent it, and it mostly works. Of course there’s a case that it could end up a bad contract; if there weren’t that case, the guy wouldn’t be available.
The Nets don’t care if he gets offers or not he’ll be resigned regardless. I don’t know about KD but I think Jimmy Butler will be a Net next year. Philly will max Tobias he fits with Joe and Ben better. I doubt they max Butler plus Nets were his 1st choice. Even after Dlo and Butler the Nets will be under the cap then they resign Ed Davis and Demarre and take a flyer on a young 4 like Chriss or Vonleh
Nets were Jimmy Butler’s first choice? What are you basing this on?
Jordan Clarkson a former dlo teammate got 50 mill and he wasn’t half the player dlo is . So slow Max player probably not but he worth at least 70-80 mill.
Insanity.
Pure, unadulterated insanity to suggest Russell should get a Max.
He’ll get Allen Crabbe money from some desperate (MIN, CHI, ORL) franchise.
Max money – no way. No.
Why??? Dinwiddie got handsomely paid, & is not a shadow of the player D’lo is, so… I would pay the man for sure, he is a 23 year old All-Star getting better & better, at least 3 more years before hitting his prime, worth every dime.
D’Angelo Russell was a balling GOD on January 14th 2019 versus the Boston Celtics.
Nets will see what the market values Russell at and then match, and offer a multi-year extension at that level.
If he signs they can only match. Not extend. They match for whatever garbage contract someone gets him to sign. If its 1 yr at max its 1 yr at max that they match and hes a FA the following year.
He shouldn’t be a max player, but he is a 23 y/o All Star in a market with more money than high end talent, so he will be paid max money and the Nets would be smart to match whatever offer he receives.
Can totally c Russell to the Suns. They would b a pretty scary group of young dudes in a couple years of that happens