5. D’Angelo Russell
It may seem odd to see the Nets best player on this list, but Russell is more than that. He is also their biggest asset. Brooklyn has to decide if they want to continue to build with Russell being their foundation or use him to acquire new talent.
There’s no need to go deeply into Russell’s fit with the team because he showed exactly what he could do last season. With the rumors of Kyrie Irving to Brooklyn circling the league though, the Nets may very well decide to take advantage of Russell as an asset while they still have the option.
He would likely land the team a very good draft pick or trade package if the Nets do decide to make him available in a sign and trade. Rumors of Russell to the Phoenix Suns for their lottery pick have been mentioned. One thing is for sure, whoever Russell plays for next season, he will definitely help that team.
But if Brooklyn does decide to go after Irving, and trades Russell to a team like Phoenix, we could see that turn into an even bigger move. For someone like Anthony Davis for instance. The Nets are in win-now mode, and Russell might just be a casualty in that process.