Aloha
Of all the trade proposals we have endured since April, the Kyrie deal is the only one I have thought could actually happen. KD and his trade request certainly slowed the progress of negotiations but I’m now thinking if the Nets can’t find a trade partner, Russ would not be terrible for the Nets.
For starters, KD and LeBron are different players. LeBron has always been the pseudo PG for ever team he’s played for while KD has played off the ball at every stop. He fits much better with a ball dominate PG and he’s played with Russ.
Then there is the issue of spacing. The Lakers didn’t have any. Russ would often be met by several defenders that resulted in some truly awful decisions. The Nets have KD and Paddy Mills. They will have either Curry or Joe Harris and they just signed TJ Warren. All of those guys will space the floor for Russ to do what he does best, attack.
In a way the Kyrie trade makes more sense for the Nets if KD stays then goes. All they get in Russ if KD leaves is a distant pick and cap relief if Harris is included. If KD stays Russ may actually help them win.
But here is the interesting question. Why did KD ask out? Was it because he is tight with Kyrie? Or was it because of the trade speculation for Russ. Russ and KD’s partnership didn’t end well. That makes me wonder if that is playing a part in this drama.
There’s so much controversy surrounding Russ at this point that it’s hard to imagine him playing anywhere next season, which is a shame because the guy is such an amazing athlete and if he could learn to dial it down and under control could still be a valuable part of a team. Unfortunately, he probably cannot do that for a championship caliber team. For a team looking to tank and wanting to have some reason to attract fans, Russ could work.