The Warriors have agreed to trade Russell to Minnesota in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and two future draft picks, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
Golden State has agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota for a deal that includes Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2021 second-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Warriors will send Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to Timberwolves too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
Clarification: Minnesota’s second-round pick going to Golden State is in 2021 — not 2022.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
The 2021 first-round pick is protected to No. 3 and becomes unprotected in 2022, according to Woj.
Russell has been a lone bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season for the Warriors this year. He is averaging 23.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, though his numbers would likely have dipped a bit when Stephen Curry returns from his thumb injury. Some have wondered how Russell and Curry could coexist together on the court, and apparently Golden State was not sold on keeping the duo together.
The Warriors were believed to be seeking a first-round draft pick from Minnesota all along, and it looked like the T-Wolves were balking at that asking price as of Wednesday. In hindsight, that was probably just posturing.
Russell signed a four-year, $117 million deal last offseason as part of a sign-and-trade between Golden State and the Brooklyn Nets. The Timberwolves can now try to build their roster around a core of Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Wiggins, a former No. 1 overall pick, is averaging 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game this season.
