D'Angelo Russell
D'Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Barclays Center in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, April 20, 2019. Getty Images/Elsa

KEY POINTS

  • Dubs saving D'Angelo Russell for future deals
  • Warriors aiming for bigger players this NBA offseason
  • Russell may only be traded via trade too hard to refuse

The Golden State Warriors continue to struggle and critics feel that moves are forthcoming. The current NBA season seems all but lost for the Dubs, raising questions on the future of several stars. At the top of the heap is D'Angelo Russell who many are expecting to be traded.

With the NBA trade deadline fast approaching, Russell is one of the players speculated to be on the move. The reason behind this is because the Dubs may very well choose to tank and raise their chances of getting a good spot at next year's NBA Draft. But according to Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe, it appears trading the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft will not be happening anytime soon.

"I think D'Angelo is playing this season, at the very least, and maybe even beyond in Golden State. He's still a very valuable asset," the reporter said.

The only way that the 23-year-old guard may be dealt is through an offer that would be hard to refuse. So far, no team has expressed interest in giving up valuable assets to the rebuilding Dubs. As things stand now, it appears the Warriors would prefer to wait until the summer before making a final decision on the rising guard out of Louisville, Kentucky.

Rather than seeing Russell moved, the Warriors could opt for smaller NBA trade deals. There are several other players who could be dealt with rather than the top stars on the roster, NBC Sports reported. No names have been mentioned so far but the intent here would be to avoid the luxury tax threshold.

Looking ahead, Russell could be a valuable trading chip for the Dubs. There are several players who could become free agents next NBA season who the Warriors could lure in. That would include Giannis Antentokounmpo who could opt to pass on a supermax contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. If that does ensue, the Dubs can include Russell in a potential deal with the Bucks.

This is one of many scenarios the Dubs may be looking at. They are currently at the tail-end of the NBA Western Conference with a 5-23 record. The roster could help although this excludes dealing away their top stars.

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