The Golden State Warriors appear to see D’Angelo Russell as more than a one-year Band-Aid in Klay Thompson’s absence.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Friday that rival teams who have spoken to the Warriors say they are not searching for a Russell trade, unless one blows them away.
The 23-year-old Russell holds excellent averages of 23.2 points and 6.0 assists per game this season but has been limited to 22 appearances thus far due to various injuries. He is in the first year of a four-year, $117 million deal with the Warriors, thanks to a sign-and-trade with Brooklyn for Kevin Durant.
It is fair to question Russell’s fit in Golden State once Thompson and Stephen Curry get healthy, especially with his ball-dominant style and his limitations on defense. But he is a young stud with All-Star-level talent, and the Warriors could also use Russell’s presence to lure one of his superstar buddies.
D’Angelo Russell seemed likely to join the Minnesota Timberwolves at one point this summer, but now he is revealing why he got cold feet … literally.
Speaking with the media on Friday, the All-Star guard said that the Minnesota weather “for sure” played a major role in his decision to turn down the Wolves this summer.
“I thought the opportunity [in Minnesota] was amazing,” Russell said, per Chris Hine of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “It was definitely something that I was considering very strongly. But then when this opportunity came [with the Golden State Warriors], the weather is way better, so that helped me.
“I did my first winter in New York and that was tough,” he continued. “So to get the opportunity to go somewhere where it’s warm again, I think that played a major part in my plan.”
Russell, who played for the Brooklyn Nets last season, is close friends with Wolves star Karl-Anthony Towns, who went one pick ahead of him in the 2015 NBA Draft. Instead of Minnesota though, Russell chose to greenlight a sign-and-trade that sent him to Golden State in a return package for Kevin Durant.
Indeed, playing in the upper Midwest cold can have some major drawbacks, as another professional athlete can definitely attest to.
Not all NBA-related developments out of China are negative.
Chinese shoe company Li-Ning brand Way of Wade is pushing to have a deal with Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell, according to Marc Stein. The deal would make Russell a brand ambassador.
Russell, 23, was signed with Nike but his deal was set to expire this fall, according to sneaker reporter Nick DePaula. Russell is an up-and-coming name.
A former No. 2 overall pick by the Los Angeles Lakers, Russell made his first All-Star team last year and emerged with the Brooklyn Nets. He was traded to Golden State as part of the Kevin Durant deal. Russell is entering his fifth season in the league.
The Golden State Warriors will have much less firepower next season than they have in the past few years, but they should still have one of the best backcourts in the NBA even while Klay Thompson is recovering from a torn ACL. And when Thompson does return, D’Angelo Russell thinks Golden State’s collection of guards could be so good it will almost be unrealistic.
In a recent interview with Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype, Russell said the combination of him, Curry and Thompson will be “like a video game.”
“I think it’s like a video game. You got three guys who can shoot the three at a high clip. I think that’s really exciting for the fans,” Russell said. “Threes are obviously worth more than twos at the end of the day, so I think it gives us an opportunity to win. I’m so excited, and I think we’re going to bring a lot of excitement [to the fans].”
Even with Kevin Durant gone and Thompson expected to miss most — if not all — of the 2019-20 season, the Warriors should remain competitive in the Western Conference. Russell is coming off a breakout season with the Brooklyn Nets, and playing alongside Stephen Curry should open up more opportunities for him to score.
The Warriors have pretty much been like a video game for the past several years, so it remains to be seen if they can keep that up with Durant gone. We know at least one player who thinks it would be premature to say their dynasty is finished, and Russell would love to help them start a new one.
There was widespread speculation that the Golden State Warriors acquired D’Angelo Russell with the intent of eventually trading him, but GM Bob Myers won’t be pushing that angle.
Myers said Monday that the Warriors did not acquire Russell with the intention of dealing hi, which Golden State couldn’t even do until December 15.
Myers isn’t going to outright put Russell on the trade block right now. The Warriors will need him as long as Klay Thompson is hurt, and if he hits in well with the team, there’s almost certainly no aversion to keeping him around long-term. If he doesn’t fit in, it probably bears watching what the Warriors may do with him next summer.
The Golden State Warriors may have lost Kevin Durant, but they are gaining some ice in their veins.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported on Sunday that the Warriors have acquired All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell from the Brooklyn Nets on a four-year, $117 million max deal. The deal will be part of a sign-and-trade, as Durant expressed his intention to sign with Brooklyn earlier in the day.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Treveon Graham and Shabazz Napier will also be heading to Golden State in the trade.
The Dubs’ acquisition of Russell, who just posted 21.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game in a career year, fills a need. Klay Thompson may miss all of next season with a torn ACL, Shaun Livingston is expected to retire, and Quinn Cook could be on his way out of Golden State as well.
That said, the move is still somewhat surprising considering that Golden State had to create space to get under the tax apron in order to absorb Russell. They achieved that by trading longtime Warrior Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies along with a future first-round pick, per Wojnarowski.
The 23-year-old Russell was widely believed to be heading to another Western team, so this development certainly shakes things up on multiple fronts.
All signs continue to point to D’Angelo Russell joining the Minnesota Timberwolves.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Russell has been in contact with Minnesota center Karl-Anthony Towns as recently as Saturday as the Timberwolves seek to clear the necessary cap room to add Russell to the roster.
It’s still unclear how the Nets will handle Russell at this situation. A trade is possible, or they could still rescind their rights to him and grant him unrestricted free agency, which seems to be the scenario Minnesota is preparing for. What’s clear is that they are Russell’s preferred destination, and it looks likely that he’ll land there one way or another.
The Golden State Warriors may not be walking away from Kevin Durant’s departure empty-handed.
Speaking Sunday on “The Jump,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said that the Dubs could land D’Angelo Russell from the Brooklyn Nets in a sign-and-trade for Durant. Windhorst did note though that such a move would be “complicated” as the Warriors could have to sell themselves to Russell, agree on a contract with him, then do the sign-and-trade.
The 23-year-old Russell, who was an All-Star last season with averages of 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game to help lead Brooklyn to a playoff berth, is a restricted free agent for now after the Nets tendered him a qualifying offer.
The Warriors will have a need in the backcourt next year with Klay Thompson out with a torn ACL, and they are already working on other moves in the wake of Durant’s exit as well.
Despite interest from the team he started his career with, D’Angelo Russell appears to have a different preference for his new home.
According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, the Minnesota Timberwolves are Russell’s preferred option in free agency, and they believe they can free up the necessary cap space to sign him. The feeling is mutual, as the Timberwolves have made him their top target as well.
Russell is already set to meet with the Timberwolves. Unless the Los Angeles Lakers can change his mind, it sounds like it will be a matter of Minnesota clearing the cap space required to bring the guard in.
D’Angelo Russell’s days with the Brooklyn Nets are reportedly coming to an end.
With news that the Nets are set to sign Kyrie Irving to a four-year deal, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added that the Nets will likely renounce their rights to Russell and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent.
Wojnarowski added that the Nets would be willing to work with Russell on a sign-and-trade if the scenario presented itself.
Russell is only 23 and is coming off the best season of his career. He averaged 21.1 points and seven assists per game and was the leader of a Nets team that made it back to the playoffs. He will have numerous suitors, including the team where he started his career, and immediately becomes one of the most in-demand free agents on the market.
