Jazz Could Target D’Angelo Russell In Free Agency

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz are expected to be extremely active in NBA free agency this summer and will likely need to find a new starting point guard.

It’s been said by Ricky Rubio, who played as the team’s starting point guard for the last two seasons, that the organization has told him that he is not a priority to be resigned.

It was reported around the trade deadline time in February that the Jazz were involved in trade talks to acquire Mike Conley from the Memphis Grizzlies. The trade however, never materialized and the Jazz finished the season with Rubio, although some feelings were hurt when news of the potential trade was leaked, according to Utah’s executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey.

Ricky Rubio says the Utah Jazz let him know that he is no longer a priority for them, per @ernestmacia. pic.twitter.com/i2BxvhwE6b

— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) June 2, 2019

Trading for Conley is still an option for the Jazz, but there are a couple of other high-profile options for Utah during his summer’s free agency period.

Free Agent Options

In March, sports.ksl.com wrote that Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving would be a perfect fit on the Utah Jazz due to his alleged desire to play in a reduced spotlight.

However, it appears that Irving’s sights are set on signing with either the Brooklyn Nets or the Los Angeles Lakers. Irving was recently spotted house-hunting in New York City and has plans to sign with Roc Nation Sports for representation, a group that was founded by rapper Jay-Z, who was once a minority owner with the Nets.

Another option for Utah is Kemba Walker, but he stands to make $80 million more in his next contract by resigning on a supermax deal with his current team, the Charlotte Hornets. It seems like a long shot that the Jazz could acquire Walker by signing him for a lot less money than he could get with the Hornets.

Here are the options for Kemba Walker as he enters free agency:

Super max- 5 years/$221M

Bird (w/CHA)- 5 years/$190M

Team w/room- 4 years/$141M

Difference between the super max and signing with a new team is $80M.

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 23, 2019

As it stands now, it could be that the most likely star that the Jazz could sign in free agency is Nets guard D’Angelo Russell.

Russell, who was drafted by the Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, took big strides forward last season with Brooklyn, his second year with the team. The 23-year old made his first All-Star team, helped the Nets make the playoffs, and increased his scoring average from 15.5 points per game in 2017-18 to 21.1 in 2018-19.

It’s been said that Russell and Jazz star Donovan Mitchell are good friends and Mitchell fueled some speculation a couple weeks ago when the two spent some time together in the Big Apple.

Nets "highly unlikely" to keep D'Angelo Russell if they sign Kyrie Irving, per @IanBegley pic.twitter.com/N62zuXN8UA

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) June 15, 2019

Russell has had some issues in the league. He was involved in a scandal early in his career in L.A. when he posted a Snapchat video of his teammate, Nick Young confiding in him that he had cheated on his girlfriend. The incident was major news in the NBA and according to reports, completely alienated Russell from his Lakers teammates. It’s been reported that then-team president Magic Johnson traded Russell to Brooklyn as a result of the ordeal.

Since then, Russell, who is known for his ice-in-my-veins gesture when he makes a nice play, seems to have matured and has elevated his game to a high level in the NBA. However, it’s been claimed that if the Nets land Irving in free agency, they’ll cut Russell loose and the former Ohio State product will be free to find a new team.

There’s no telling what Lindsey and newly named general manager Justin Zanik will do to improve Utah’s roster and in particular, the point guard position. However, it’s possible that Russell could end up in a Jazz uniform next season.