Keep the Billboards: How D’Angelo Russell could eventually come to the Phoenix Suns

This summer’s hottest rumor involving the Phoenix Suns was whether or not they were going to offer Devin Booker pal ‘DAngelo Russell a contract. It didn’t happen, but that doesn’t mean an acquisition still can’t occur at some point soon.

It was obvious that a lot of the Valley of the Suns (that means fans, not just this site), really wanted D’Angelo Russell to be teammates with one of his best friends, Devin Booker, on the Phoenix Suns.

Unfortunately, it seemed James Jones was not willing to make such a pairing happen.

The fact is that Russell will not be playing for the Phoenix Suns to start the season, but the possibility of him wearing the purple and orange one day is still well and alive.

The 2019 free agency summer was one like we have never seen before and it ended up with Russell making his way from Brooklyn to the Bay Area.

The now-Warriors guard will be making the transition from a point guard with the ball in his hands and making plays, to playing with arguably the best shooter and point guard the league has seen.

Obviously, we know what happened, the Suns paid Ricky Rubio $51 million for three-years, while D’Angelo Russell (who had been tied to the Suns in trade rumors just two seasons ago, signed a four-year, $117 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets – where Russell had previously been the star point guard.

When Russell signed, many were taken aback by the move, but nonetheless if you are sitting in the Warriors front-office you have to somewhat be expecting a pat on the back for landing this very good young talent.

However, the NBA is about the fit, how players play with each other and how much they enjoy one another on and off the court, which brings me to the all-important question involving Russell and the Golden State Warriors: how does Russell actually fit in an already uber-talented and stacked backcourt?

Assuming Klay Thompson returns from his ACL injury in a respectable timetable, the Warriors still have their same core that won them 73 games four years ago.

Along with that question though, and sticking to the concept that Russell could still be a potential fit for the Phoenix Suns in the long run, would be addressing the return the Warriors could receive for Russell at the deadline which would help add much needed depth that could help put them back in the mix for a title (after the losses of Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins, ubre-role players Andre Iguadala and Shaun Livingston, plus the injury to Klay Thompson, many people do not even have the Warriors making the playoffs in 2020. The mid-season acquisition of depth could be a key factor in their making a late season playoff push potentially coinciding with the return of Klay).

This is the first, and quickest way that Russell could be a Phoenix Sun.

If and when the Warriors are contenders this season and Klay is back, it seems likely that Russell will not only feel like an outcast, but be redundant (almost the same way Isaiah Thomas was in a backcourt with Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic) and the search for a buyer is underway.

The Suns could potentially offer the Warriors Dario Saric, Aaron Baynes, Jevon Carter and a future first round pick for Russell.

The Warriors add depth, shooting, a very reliable big, and a guard who can really defend, in exchange for the Suns future point guard.

At that point, Phoenix could keep Rubio as a mentor for both Ty Jerome and Russell as a world-class back up, or they could find a team that needs a point guard and get legitimate value in return.

The Suns would then would have established and solidified their young core: Russell, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, Kelly Oubre, Deandre Ayton, and rookies Cameron Johnson and Jerome, with the possibility of enticing one and possibly even two free agents in 2020.

At that point, people are talking about the Suns as a playoff team, and let’s remenice for a second when was the last time people have had such a legitimate conversation?

Scenario two involves more patience – which is scary to think about for fans needing even more patience! – although if pulled off, it could be even scarier for other teams around the league.

Steph Curry has three years left on his record-setting contract that expires in 2022, Russell’s contract expires the year following.

So I pose a second question: do the Warriors decide to let Curry walk into the free agent market and look to Russell for the future, or do they re-sign the then 33-year-old Curry and allow him to continue (and eventually end) his Hall of Fame career on the team that drafted him?

I am going to assume the latter, which would make the then 26-year-old Russell a free agent once again, being kicked to the curb by a veteran point guard.

This is also the same year that then 32-year-old Rubio’s contract expires, and it would make so much sense to obtain the younger point guard who will now be in his prime, best friends with Devin Booker, and with the biggest chip on their shoulder as possible, being unwanted by three organizations for other point guards!

Besty’s and soon to be All-Stars, Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton, plus Kelly Oubre (who changed the Suns’ culture) and Mikal Bridges who could be one of the best three-and-D players in the league all on the same team, and the possibility of the Phoenix Suns running the West are endless.

I am ready to say that if the Phoenix Suns add D’Angelo Russell they would be a playoff team for at least five years. A lot would have to happen to land him, but if you dive into it, the possibility of him eventually being a Sun is not that far out of sight.