As the Golden State Warriors begin to integrate D’Angelo Russell into their culture, many are still wondering whether the newly-acquired All-Star point guard will really stick at the Bay Area before the 2019-20 NBA season starts.
On Monday, Warriors general manager Bob Myers squashed all the questions surrounding Russell’s tenure in Golden State, stressing that he has no intention of trading the guard for assets or another star player really soon.
Myers added he couldn’t blame the media for questioning Russell’s long-term future with the team. However, he stressed that the plan right now is for Russell to play with Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and eventually Klay Thompson – when he returns from a torn ACL injury - and see how things go from there.
The Wolves are in play
But while Myers’ words are loud and clear, trade chatters concerning the former No.2 overall pick have kept on coming.
NBA writer Brad Botkin added fuel to the rumor mill in his latest article on CBS Sports.
According to Botkin, the Warriors view Russell both as reinforcement after losing Kevin Durant to free agency and also a potential trade asset. He believes Myers and Steve Kerr will allow Russell to have a featured role on the team before they decide whether he’s a keeper or not.
The NBA scribe added that the Minnesota Timberwolves – who were a finalist in the Russell free agency sweepstakes despite not having a cap space – will continue to monitor Russell’s situation with the Warriors.
Botkin wrote on CBS Sports, “When the Warriors agreed to the sign-and-trade of Kevin Durant for Russell, they did so for two reasons. One, Russell is a good player. Two, he's a tradeable player. The Warriors can't move him until Dec. 15, but after that, anything can happen.
The Wolves are a team to watch. We know they wanted Russell before he wound up with Golden State.
A package centered on Robert Covington could go a long way in filling back out Golden State's depleted perimeter defense.”
The waiting game
Patience is a virtue, and this can’t be truer for the Warriors and Timberwolves.
The Warriors are waiting to see if Russell can really play his best basketball alongside Curry and Thompson.
They want to know if D-LO also possesses that championship DNA that propelled the team to greater heights over the last five seasons.
The Timberwolves, meanwhile, are patiently observing the situation over there in the Bay Area. Their front-office thinks pairing Karl-Anthony Towns with his former AAU teammate and a buddy would take the big man’s game to a whole new level, not to mention that Russell is a perfect hostage to keep Towns in Twin City for more years to come.
Durant’s decision to join Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets may have ended the Warriors’ dominance in the league, but that doesn’t mean Golden State won’t be contending for a title anytime soon.
This coming season will be a trying time for the Dubs.
Then again, everyone should realize that the Warriors still have Curry, Thompson, and Green on their roster. And by adding Russell to the mix, Golden State will remain a pretty good team this year. Here’s the catch: they can be even better if Myers find a way to flip Russell for not only Robert Covington - who would be a solid replacement for Andre Igoudala - but another game-changing star.
