Report: Nets' D'Angelo Russell may sign with Mavericks in free-agency

Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell is one of the more interesting players on the roster to watch this season given that he will be hitting free-agency for the first time in his career. Brooklyn will have plenty of money to spend in free-agency to retain players like Russell, but it seems like another team could have the inside track on signing Russell away from the Nets.

Per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer on The Stein Line substack, the Dallas Mavericks are "widely regarded as a strong favorite to come to terms with another former All-Star—Brooklyn's D'Angelo Russell—once free agency officially beings Monday night." This report continues what The Stein Line has been reporting over the past week when it comes to Russell potentially going elsewhere.

"Essentially because the Mavericks regard Russell as far more attainable," Stein and Fischer wrote when comparing why the Mavericks are more likely to sign Russell than to go after somewhere like San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul. With Kyrie Irving expected to miss at least half of the 2025-26 season, Dallas is looking for a player that can soak up the point guard minutes until Irving is able to return to the floor.

Russell, 29, began the 2024-25 season playing for the Los Angeles Lakers before the team traded him to the Nets in exchange for forward Dorian Finney-Smith and guard Shake Milton. Russell went on to average 12.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 36.7% from the field and 29.7% from three-point land in 29 games played.

Russell said multiple times during the season that he would like to come back to the Nets given how he feels in Brooklyn and being the orchestrator of the offense for head coach Jordi Fernandez. For Russell, his decision could come down to whether the Mavericks are willing to pay him more money than Brooklyn especially since Dallas will be able to offer him a starting point guard role as well.

This article originally appeared on Nets Wire: Report: Nets' D'Angelo Russell may sign with Mavericks in free-agency