NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors Eyeing D'Angelo Russell-Ben Simmons Swap

Golden State Warriors was hit with the injury bug, particularly with their leading point producers in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson – Curry suffered a broken hand as the current season heats up while Thompson is in rehab after tearing his ACL last season.

The trio of Curry, Thompson, and new acquisition D’Angelo Russell would have been an interesting scene to watch as NBA fans would want to see how three scorers would jell with one another. With the “Splash Brothers” recovering from their respective injuries, Russell is showing the numbers he can put up numbers but with little help, the points aren’t translating to victories.

Reports from The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson via CBS Sports said that should Golden State decided to change directions, they can ship the scoring guard who is not shy of taking long bombs for another guard who, ironically, appears to be the opposite – or still not ready to say the least.

“Some believe the pairing of Simmons and big man Joel Embiid isn't viable in their pursuit of a championship,” Thompson said. “Simmons, as one source told me, is probably the best player the Warriors could possibly get for Russell, just considering the needs of the Warriors and their potential trade partners.”

Russell, the second-overall pick by the Lakers in 2015, is racking up 23.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 22 games – to which he all played as a starter. He, however, also had his share of injuries but has proven himself to be a deadly scorer when healthy, especially in the clutch.

Simmons, on the other hand, are norming numbers that are very decent – 14.9 points, 8.6 assists, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals in 36 games as a starter. The only downside with his game is his unwillingness to take more shots outside the paint. Per NBA Stats, he’s taken most of his shots within less than 5-feet this season and only 26 shots from outside 10 feet.

The other thing that the Warriors is looking at is his playing style, which is similar to Draymond Green – great passers but cannot shoot. Should the Warriors push with this deal and, maybe add a first-round draft pick, a backcourt with Simmons, Curry and Thompson is something to watch about – same goes with an Embiid-Russell combo.