NBA Rumors: Warriors Reportedly ‘Listening To Pitches’ For D’Angelo Russell As Trade Deadline Nears
With just three days remaining before the NBA’s February 6 trade deadline, the Golden State Warriors are apparently willing to consider offers for top scorer D’Angelo Russell, who has been mentioned in various rumors since he was acquired by the team in the summer of 2019.
In a tweet shared early Monday morning, Marc Stein of The New York Times cited sources familiar with the situation, writing that the Warriors are “listening to pitches” for Russell. He added that it’s “no secret” that among all of the All-Star guard’s suitors, the Minnesota Timberwolves are especially interested in trading for him before Thursday’s deadline.
Although it’s still unclear whether Golden State would be able to move Russell in time, Stein further noted that the Warriors are likely to trade wing players Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III in the days leading up to the deadline.
As separately discussed by Bleacher Report, the Timberwolves are not the only team that has been connected to Russell as a potential landing spot. Last month, The Athletic wrote that the Warriors were reportedly considering a trade that would send the 23-year-old backcourt star to the Philadelphia 76ers, in exchange for point guard Ben Simmons.
“Some believe the pairing of Simmons and big man Joel Embiid isn’t viable in their pursuit of a championship,” The Athletic‘s Marcus Thompson was quoted as saying. “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.”
Yup. D'Angelo Russell is in that zone again. pic.twitter.com/BStrzdigm2
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) November 10, 2019
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, have been the team most frequently mentioned as a potential destination for Russell. There have been several trade ideas suggested over the past few months that would theoretically allow Minnesota to acquire the former No. 2 overall draft pick, including one that would send veteran forward Robert Covington and rookie guard Jarrett Culver to Golden State. Like Russell, Covington’s name has come up frequently in the rumor mill, particularly in recent weeks, where teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers have been linked to him.
If Russell gets traded to another team prior to the deadline, Golden State will be giving up the leading scorer and passer on a team that has gone 11-39 so far, largely on account of injuries to superstar guards Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The former Ohio State star is averaging 23.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc, though — as Bleacher Report opined — there may be some “redundancy” if he is still with the team once Curry and Thompson return to the court.
