The No. 1 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Karl-Anthony Towns, is in talks to get a max contract extension with the Timberwolves. The No. 4 pick in that draft, Kristaps Porzingis, will get a max one as well. Devin Booker, who was taking 13th, just got one from the Suns.
And then there’s the No. 2 pick, D’Angelo Russell. Drafted by the Lakers but shipped to Brooklyn as the sweetener in the Timofey Mozgov salary dump (the Lakers had drafted Lonzo Ball and were moving on), he is coming off some nice-but-not-thrilling NBA seasons and a knee surgery. That’s not going to get him an extension in the range he wants.
The two sides are not even talking, according to Michael Scotto at The Athletic.Brooklyn and Russell’s camp have not discussed an extension yet a league source told The Athletic. The 22-year-old guard is owed $7.02 million this upcoming season and is eligible for a $9.16 million qualifying offer and restricted free agency next summer if he doesn’t agree to a rookie scale extension before the start of the regular season in October.
Russell, who attended the Nets’ NBA Summer League games, burst out of the gate on a tear last season averaging 20.9 points on 46 percent shooting, 5.7 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game in his first 12 games played before undergoing arthroscopic left knee surgery.
The Nets like Russell, but this is the correct play — make him earn a big contract next season. Brooklyn will have him as a restricted free agent, let the market set the price.
Russell is playing for his contract next season — whether he does that within the system or breaks out of it to rack up numbers will be something to watch.
