According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, D’Angelo Russell is on his way to the Golden State Warriors. He was obtained via a sign-and-trade between the Warriors and the Brooklyn Nets.
D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors
In a surprising twist, the Warriors pulled off a deal for Russell in the aftermath of Kevin Durant‘s departure. With Durant set to sign with the Nets, Brooklyn needed to move Russell. The Nets are reportedly sending Russell, Treveon Graham, and Shabazz Napier to Golden State in return for Durant.
The deal is a maximum contract, worth $117 million over four years.
Golden State and Brooklyn have agreed on a sign-and-trade, sending D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors on a four-year, $117M maximum contract, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
The move ultimately helps both sides, giving the Warriors something in return for Durant, and the Nets are able to clear enough space to sign Durant, Kyrie Irving, and DeAndre Jordan to long-term deals.
Despite losing Durant to the Nets and Klay Thompson to injury — though they locked him up on a long-term deal — the Warriors found some semblance of bliss in the signing of Russell. The Warriors fell apart. Now, they’re back in the playoff picture in the ever-improving Western Conference.
Potential Issues
The move may cause some complications in the future, though, with a logjam in the backcourt. Former MVP Stephen Curry is undoubtedly the starting point guard, and Thompson is the shooting guard when healthy. Russell primarily runs the point, but will likely shift to the two-guard spot in Thompson’s absence. When Thompson returns, though, it could cause rotational complications.
Those worries will be dealt with in the future. In the here and now, adding one of the better free agents is a solid bounce-back from losing a two-time Finals MVP.
The Warriors won’t compete for the title next season. The future, however, is still up for grabs.
Main Photo: Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors blocks D’Angelo Russell #1 of the Brooklyn Nets during the Toronto Raptors vs Brooklyn Nets NBA regular season game at Scotiabank Arena on February 11, 2019, in Toronto, Canada (Toronto Raptors win 127-125) (Photo by Anatoliy Cherkasov/NurPhoto via Getty Images)