NBA Executives: 'High Demand' D'Angelo Russell Could Earn $20M Per Year in FA
Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell earned his first All-Star Game nod this season, and he is on his way to a lofty paycheck as well.
Michael Scotto of The Athletic cited an Eastern Conference executive, who said: "I think D'Angelo is worth around $20 million [annually]. Is this payback time for the Nets? Will teams offer him the way they [Nets] did for [Allen] Crabbe, [Otto] Porter and [Tyler] Johnson? I think he turned the corner. I think he has a chip on his shoulder."
A Western Conference executive added that Russell will "be in high demand and will get close to [the] max with his overall improvement."
The Ohio State product is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason and has a qualifying offer just north of $9 million.
Russell is averaging 20.5 points, 6.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game behind 43.6 percent shooting from the field and 36.8 percent shooting from three. He is a primary reason the Nets are tied with the Detroit Pistons for the No. 6 seed in the East and in position to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign.
Russell may not be on the Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson tier for teams this offseason, but he's not a bad consolation prize.
He is just 23 and has shown immense improvement in 2018-19 with career-best marks in points, assists, field-goal percentage and three-point percentage. His performance this season is likely what the Los Angeles Lakers envisioned when they selected him second overall in 2015.
Russell has thrived in Brooklyn, and a big contract may be waiting as a result.
.png?w=600 "Ranking KD Trade Ideas, Landing Spots 📍")
