Many of D’Angelo Russell’s draft classmates are getting big deals this summer. The Nets aren’t willing to commit big money to their guard quite yet.
When D’Angelo Russell sees guys like Devin Booker and Karl-Anthony Towns getting max contracts this summer he had to feel a little bit jealous. He was selected one spot behind Towns and was taken well before Booker, who slid all the way to No. 13.
Unfortunately for the Nets guard, his team isn’t ready to hand him a big deal.
No one can really blame the Brooklyn office for taking a different tact with Russell. To date, there have reportedly been no talks between the Nets and Russell’s camp about a contract extension. That might bruise Russell’s ego, but it’s the right stance for the team.
The fact that Russell has missed 53 games due to injury over the last two seasons is reason enough for the Nets to be hesitant. If the left-handed guard wants to get paid like a star, he’s going to have to work on his availability.
Brooklyn will want to see him go through an entire season with good health before they hand him a long-term extension.
There’s also the small matter that Russell needs to become a better basketball player to really get paid. He averaged 15.5 points per game in his first season with the Nets, but he wasn’t terribly efficient.
A true shooting percentage of just of just .509 isn’t anywhere close to what Brooklyn needs out of a star guard. In truth, it’s not even good enough for a quality bench player. Russell needs to become a much more effective and efficient scorer to get paid next summer.
Perhaps things would be different if he contributed more in other facets of the game. Despite his lack of stature and the time he spends on the ball, he still isn’t a great assist man. He averaged just over five helpers a game last year, but he doesn’t really create plays for others.
Becoming more of a point guard could also do a lot to raise his value.
Lastly, Russell’s complete lack of impact as a defender really makes it difficult to give him a big-money contract. He’s the sort of player who has to exceptional on the offensive end to make up for his lack of defensive acumen.
His DBPM of minus-1.2 last season might be a little bit flattering. When you watch him on film his lack of effort and instincts on the defensive end jump off the screen at you.
Ultimately, Russell needs to improve in all facets of the game if he wants to get anything close to a maximum extension from the Nets. The odds are stacked against that ever happening.
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Russell may need to settle for something much closer to the mid-level exception if he wants to stay in Brooklyn for the long haul.