D'Angelo Russell Trade Rumors Persist, Golden State Warriors Should Keep Guard At 2020 Deadline

D’Angelo Russell’s name has been in trade rumors from the moment he went to the Golden State Warriors in July. With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson already giving the reigning Western Conference champions a Hall-of-Fame backcourt, Russell’s time in the Bay Area is thought to be limited. Golden State is largely expected to eventually to deal the guard for pieces that will help the Warriors return to being a title contender.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are hoping Russell spends no more than a half-season with the Warriors. Minnesota is trying to pry the 23-year-old away from Golden State before the 2020 NBA trade deadline, which is set for Thursday at 3 p.m. EST.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported Monday night that a proposed three-team trade between the Timberwolves, Houston Rockets and Atlanta Hawks would’ve allowed Minnesota to trade their 2020 first-round draft pick and the Brooklyn Nets’ first-rounder in a deal for Russell. The Warriors reportedly rejected the offer, stalling trade talks.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Minnesota is still trying to orchestrate a trade between all four teams that would put Russell in a Timberwolves’ uniform. Houston would acquire Robert Covington and Clint Capela would go to Atlanta as part of the deal.

Wojnarowski reports that the Warriors and Timberwolves still are not close to coming to an agreement. It’s just another sign that Golden State could end up keeping Russell for the entire season.

The Warriors would probably be better off holding onto Russell and revisiting discussions this summer. The Timberwolves will almost certainly still be interested, considering they’ve been after the guard since this past offseason. Other suitors might emerge, as well, increasing the potential return for one of the best young guards in the NBA.

Waiting past the deadline would allow Golden State to explore turning Russell into an even better star instead of draft picks.

The Warriors have the NBA’s worst record. It is probable that no team will have better lottery odds than Golden State. If the Warriors land the No.1 overall pick, they might want to see what kind of a player they can get in exchange for Russell and the top selection in the 2020 draft.

Will the Philadelphia 76ers try to break up Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons after another early playoff exit? What if Bradley Beal becomes available?

The upcoming draft is considered to be an especially weak one. Golden State has no reason to aggressively pursue a trade package for Russell that might not include one top-five pick.

The Warriors might as well wait and see how Russell performs in a lineup that includes Curry. The two-time MVP is expected to return from a broken hand at some point next month. Curry has only played four games this season.

Russell is playing just as well as he did in last year’s All-Star campaign. The point guard is averaging 23.8 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. He’s shooting 43.3% from the field and making 38.8% of the 9.8 threes he attempts each game.

Russell is set to make $89.475 million over three years after this season.