D’Angelo Russell
CJ McCollum. Brandon Ingram. Herbert Jones. Zion Williamson. Jonas Valanciunas. That would make a fantastic starting five – but something glaring is missing.
Who’s the point guard? McCollum can run the floor, Ingram can run the floor, and Williamson in 2020-21 showed elite floor general potential. But the Pelicans don’t really have a true PG. D’Angelo Russell, reportedly disgruntled in Minnesota, could be the perfect player to fill that gap.
Russell is one of the league’s best passing PGs, averaging 7.1 assists this past season, good for 11th in the NBA. No slouch as a scorer either, Russell contributed 18.1 points per game. The PG did have a down year from three percentage-wise at 34%, though.
Still, Russell is a dynamic offensive player, and he’d fit well alongside the Pelicans’ stable of stars.
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The Pelicans’ offense will likely look very different next season with Zion Williamson back in the fold. With Zion the focus, Russell would provide yet another elite secondary option for New Orleans.
The only big issue is Russell’s contract. New Orleans would need to send out a large chunk of salary to make the deal work.
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If the Pels hope to keep Valanciunas, a deal would likely be structured around Larry Nance Jr., another key piece, as well as Devonte’ Graham. It could be worth it though, for a player of Russell’s caliber.
