NBA Rumors: Mavericks Could Acquire D’Angelo Russell For Tim Hardaway Jr. & Courtney Lee, Per ‘The Big Lead’
After a failed bid for a three-peat, the Golden State Warriors took another huge blow in the 2019 NBA free agency period after losing one of their superstars, Kevin Durant, to the Brooklyn Nets. Luckily, the Warriors didn’t lose Durant without getting anything in return as they ended up acquiring All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell from the Nets via a sign-and-trade deal. Russell may still not be on the level of Durant, but he can still give the Warriors the much-needed help on the offensive end of the floor.
However, Russell’s stint with the Warriors may not last long. With the presence of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson on the Warriors’ backcourt, most people, including Marc Stein of The New York Times, believe that Russell is an odd fit in Golden State. In an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Stein revealed that the Warriors will consider trading Russell for players that could complement their core of Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green.
“They will trade him. It’s just a matter of when,” Stein said, as quoted by RealGM.com.
Before making D’Angelo Russell officially available on the trading block, the Warriors will first wait for Klay Thompson to fully recover from his injury. According to Liam McKeone of The Big Lead, one of the NBA teams who could express strong interest in acquiring Russell from the Warriors is the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks have long been eyeing to add a starting caliber point guard to pair with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
Amid free agency and Kawhi Watch: A moment to appreciate Andre Iguodala, and the pros and cons of Golden State going for D'Angelo Russell: https://t.co/t9rHBv2N9z
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) July 2, 2019
They tried to chase Kemba Walker in the free agency, but he ended up signing a max contract with the Boston Celtics. Targeting Russell makes a lot of sense for the Mavericks. Aside from having an All-Star point guard, Russell, 23, fits well with the timeline of Doncic and Porzingis. To acquire him from the Warriors, McKeone suggested that the Mavericks could explore a trade package including Tim Hardaway Jr. and Courtney Lee.
“The Mavericks have some decent pieces that the Warriors could be interested in; Tim Hardaway Jr. is expensive but can be relied upon to make shots, and the same can be said for Courtney Lee. Nabbing two decent rotation wings, albeit at a high price, would be the best possible outcome for Golden State after losing Durant and Thompson in the span of two games. Dallas, meanwhile, gets a point guard just coming into his own as the team works towards contention. It’s a natural fit for both teams.”
The proposed trade deal will not only be beneficial for the Mavericks but also for the Warriors. In exchange for D’Angelo Russell, the Warriors will be receiving two veterans in Hardaway and Lee that could fill the huge hole Kevin Durant left in the wing. Lee’s expiring contract will enable the Warriors to free a huge chunk of their salary cap space in which they could use to bring Draymond Green back when he becomes an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020.
