“I’m better than a lot of shooting guards,” D’Angelo Russell’s subtly THREATENS the league while appreciating his own worth amid trade rumors
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D'Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell is a valuable asset in the NBA, and he knows it. As trade rumors swirl around the league, the former Brooklyn Nets star has subtly threatened the league with his words, making it clear that teams who don’t recognize his worth and value will be missing out on a great player. His comments come as the Nets and other franchises search for a trade deal that suits both parties involved.
D’Angelo Russell is a professional basketball player currently signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Recently, he signed a four-year, $117 million contract – making him the first player in NBA history to sign a contract worth more than $100 million after being traded twice in the same season. Russell understands and appreciates his own worth. His deal is evidence that he has worked hard to get to where he is, and he is grateful for the chance to showcase his talent.
Russell is clearly discontent with Minnesota throwing his name around in trade talks. There is interest around the league in D’Angelo Russell but his salary puts off a lot of potential suitors. Yahoo! Sports’ Jake Fischer recently wrote about them. “The Heat have in fact registered interest in Russell, sources told Yahoo Sports, but a direct deal for [Kyle] Lowry would appear unlikely. Lowry is just a few months away from entering the final season of his own contract worth roughly $30 million in average annual salary, and it’s hard to imagine Wolves officials being eager to extend the aging guard another exorbitant payday when he becomes extension eligible this summer — putting Minnesota in the exact situation it faced with Russell last July.“
Dlo’s situation is one to monitor and it will be intriguing to see where the former all-star ends up. Russell though is already letting the league know about his greats. As in his recent interview with Yahoo Sports, he made some bold claims. And, while doing so he said: “You either take advantage of me and my ability, or f*** up the opportunity with me. It’s as simple as that.”
Further, the Wolves’ star also went on to say: “I’m an Alpha as well, you know what I mean? And I feel like I’m better than a lot of shooting guards and I’m better than a lot of point guards.” D’Angelo Russell isn’t all wrong in saying that. The league is yet to see him in a system which is built around him or for him. As right now, during his prime years he is suiting up as the third or fourth best-guy on a team. Even though he is capable of running the guard positions and getting the job done while on the offensive end. But claiming to be better isn’t going to fix his situation and he’ll have to prove his real worth on the court by balling out.
Related: D’Angelo Russell unfollows Minnesota Timberwolves on Instagram amid recent trade rumors
D’Angelo Russell’s play this season for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Russell has been solid for the Timberwolves individually in this regular season. An iron man, he has played in 41 out of a possible 43 games for the franchise. In those 41 games, he is averaging a steady 17/3/6 on 46% shooting from the field and 36% from three. These are very healthy averages for a player who’s often the third option on offense. Having to defer to Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Maybe he’s a bad fit on the team, that’s why he’s on the trading block right? Well, not quite. A look at the on/off numbers for Minnesota tells that he has a net rating swing (NRTG when he’s on the court – NRTG when he’s off the court) of +3.9, behind only Rudy Gobert and KAT on the team. All evidence says Russell is a good player and the team is better with him. However, sometimes it just works out in an unfortunate way for players. This looks like one of those situations for Russell and he can be shipped around the league before the deadline.
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Ritik Malik
(1743 Articles Published)