The minute D’Angelo Russell arrived in Golden State in the 2019 offseason, there’s been speculation if the Warriors would trade the 23-year-old All-Star, or build around him as a featured piece.
Nearly halfway into the 2019-20 season, the Russell question is still being asked. However, clarity is starting to build with how Golden State plans to navigate through the upcoming trade deadline.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Warriors are aiming to “make moves on the edges” that include veteran pieces like Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.
The Warriors are aiming to make moves on the edges, and several veteran players, such as Glenn Robinson III and Alec Burks, have been discussed in deals, according to league sources.
With consistent playing time, both Burks and Robinson have been steady contributors for the Golden State Warriors in 2019. They could each fill roles on contending teams, whether as a scoring threat or a defensive piece.
Burks, in his eighth NBA season, is averaging 15.3 points per game in 29.2 minutes per contest. Burks has come off the bench and started for Steve Kerr’s offense this season. With injuries popping up and down the Golden State roster, Burks has been one of the team’s leading scorers throughout the season, registering nine games scoring 20 points or more.
Robinson III has been one of the Warriors’ most consistent figures throughout the season, starting in every single game except one. The former Michigan Wolverine has been solid defensively, but where he’s impressed is on the offensive end. Robinson’s shooting an efficient 46.2 percent from the field, adding 12.2 points per game, all above his career averages.
If the Warriors decide to trade Burks and Robinson III, the door will open for them to sign their pair of impressive two-way guards, Ky Bowman and Damion Lee, to full-time roster spots.
Charania reported the Warriors aren’t seeking out a deal that involves Russell, unless something “blows them away.”
Rival teams that have talked to the Warriors say that the franchise is not searching for a D’Angelo Russell deal, unless it is one that blows them away.
Charania mentioned that Golden State executives want to see how Russell fits next to a healthy core that features Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
Russell is averaging 23.2 points and 6.0 assists per contest on 43.3 percent shooting from the field in his first year with the Warriors. However, Russell’s only had the opportunity to play alongside Curry four times this season due to injury.
As the days tick away till the 2020 NBA trade deadline on February 6, more of the Golden State Warriors’ future roster questions will be answered.