The Golden State Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell midway through his first season with the team, and they seem to be admitting that it simply was never going to work out.
Russell was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and draft picks on Thursday, ending a failed experiment in the Bay Area. Warriors coach Steve Kerr essentially admitted as much on Friday, stating that Russell was a “questionable” fit from day one.
Kerr, on when Warriors thought Russell wasn't a fit for the group: "To be perfectly blunt, the fit was questionable when we signed him. Nobody questioned that. When you already have Steph and Klay and you add a ball dominant guard, you can rightfully question the fit."
— Nick Friedell (@NickFriedell) February 7, 2020
It doesn’t sound like Russell did anything wrong, but he was a victim of the Warriors trying to acquire assets and make things work knowing that injuries and Kevin Durant’s departure would reshuffle their expectations for the season. Stephen Curry will be back soon, and Thompson will be there next year as well.
This goes along with information that some others in the Golden State locker room just never meshed with Russell. This was ultimately a well-intentioned but failed experiment that the Warriors were able to get out from under it rather quickly.
