10 bold predictions for 2019 NBA free agency
7. The Phoenix Suns will wind up with D’Angelo Russell
The Los Angeles Lakers have D’Angelo Russell atop their free agency list, according to Woj. The Minnesota Timberwolves are up to something with D-Lo in mind, per ESPN‘s Zach Lowe. The list of suitors for his services will grow once Kyrie Irving heads to Brooklyn and the Nets cut their restricted free agent loose.
However, as much as Lowe and Arizona Sports‘ John Gambadoro insist the Phoenix Suns are not nearly as high on Russell as his buddy Devin Booker, a potential union between the two sides would make a lot of sense, and is not too far out of the realm of possibility:
The Suns can still reach the figure needed to offer D’Angelo Russell a four-year max contract without sacrificing any future draft capital, per @cleantheglass:
— Evan Sidery (@esidery) June 28, 2019
• Stretch Tyler Johnson’s contract
• Trade Elie Okobo or De’Anthony Melton
The Suns have needed a point guard since Eric Bledsoe didn’t want to be at the hair salon anymore, and Russell is a 23-year-old coming off a breakout All-Star season in which he posted a career-high 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game while leading the Nets to the playoffs.
He’s flawed as a defender, but the Suns can’t afford to be too picky. They need to start acquiring legitimate NBA players to put around Booker, and D-Lo is young enough to still have an upward trajectory.
Phoenix has plenty of other quality point guard options, and a pitch from the Lakers easily trumps one from the Suns, but with L.A. looking to fry bigger fish, it’ll soon be time for general manager James Jones to pounce. According to an executive who spoke to The Athletic, the Suns are the team that really wants D-Lo.