Report: Suns plan to ‘exhaust options’ to acquire D’Angelo Russell
Jun 29, 2019, 4:37 PM | Updated: Jun 30, 2019, 8:34 am
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
It’s no secret the Phoenix Suns need a point guard.
With that in mind, the Suns are reportedly planning to “exhaust options” to land D’Angelo Russell when NBA free agency officially begins on Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss.
The 23-year-old point guard is coming off his best season as a pro, and is close friends with Suns guard Devin Booker.
With Kyrie Irving reportedly committing to a deal with the Nets — leaving Russell as the odd man out — Brooklyn will work with Russell on ways to get him to a team of his choosing, which includes sign-and-trade scenarios, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarwoski.
Last season with the Brooklyn Nets, Russell improved in nearly every category offensively, averaging 21.1 points, 7.0 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 81 starts. His three-point shooting percentage saw a bump as well, increasing from 32.4% to 36.9%.
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Russell and the Suns are two names that have been linked together since the start of the offseason.
But there are questions with the basketball fit, as Russell commands a large percentage of possessions as a ball-dominant point guard.
Despite the Suns’ need for a point guard and the link to Booker, 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station’s John Gambadoro has reported that Russell is not an option for Phoenix.
That hasn’t stopped Suns fans from voicing their two cents on the matter, however.
The latest example came just days ago, when a group of Suns fans bought two billboards in the Phoenix area referencing Russell to the Suns.
But while the Suns are looking to exhaust all options on Russell, the team is also reportedly looking to “strike a deal” with fellow point guard Terry Rozier if talks break down with the former Net, per Weiss.
With the report coming down from Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes that former Charlotte Hornets PG Kemba Walker is headed to Boston Celtics, Rozier is expected to have his qualifying offer rescinded by the team.
Last season, Rozier averaged 9.0 points, 2.9 assists, 3.9 rebounds and shot 38.7% from the field in 22.7 minutes per game.
