Since the time D’Angelo Russell arrived in Golden State, there have been trade rumors swirling around the 23-year-old former All-Star. On the day of the NBA trade deadline, those rumors seem to be turning into reality.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Warriors are trading D’Angelo Russell, Omari Spellman and Jacob Evans III to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins and draft pick compensation that includes a 2021 top-three protected draft pick. The Warriors are reported to be acquiring a 2021 second-round pick in the package for Russell, Spellman and Evans III.
Golden State has agreed to trade D'Angelo Russell to Minnesota for a deal that includes Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Warriors will send Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to Timberwolves too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
Clarification: Minnesota's second-round pick going to Golden State is in 2021 — not 2022.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
Timberwolves 2021 pick protected to No. 3, and becomes unprotected in 2022, per sources. Minnesota kept pushing for Russell, who it has wanted since summer free agency and finally got the point guard Gerssson Rosas imagined pairing with KAT. https://t.co/kfDNvsdBHX
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 6, 2020
Since Russell’s 2019 free agency, the Timberwolves have been linked to the former Ohio State Buckeye, once a member of Golden State, the rumors of Minnesota and the Warriors trade chatter swirled all season. Now, with only hours till the trade deadline, the Timberwolves got their point-guard to pair with All-Star center, Karl-Anthony Towns.
In his first season with the Golden State Warriors, Russell was Steve Kerr’s leading offensive initiator, averaging 23.6 points and 6.2 assists per game. Russell registered 10 games of 30 points or more this season, including a career-high 52-point effort against his new team, the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Along with Russell, young players, Spellman and Evans III, will be traded to Minnesota as well. Evans III, the Warriors 2019 first road pick, hasn’t found consistency in his young NBA career, dealing with injuries that have limited him to only 52 games in two seasons.
Spellman came from the Atlanta Hawks over the offseason and impressed in a limited role for Golden State. With the Warriors, Spellman averaged 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. The former Villanova Wildcat was able to stretch the floor for Golden State, shooting a career-high 39.1 % from beyond the arc.
In the deal, the Warriors are getting back 2014’s No. 1 overall pick in Wiggins. The former Rookie of the Year will slide next to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson once the “Splash Brother” duo returns healthy.
One day after trading Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III, the Warriors added two more draft picks from the Russell package deal. Minnesota is sending their 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 second-rounder, adding to the bevy of picks Golden State has amassed from the 2020 trade season.
There is still time left before the NBA trade deadline passes. However, the Warriors have little assets left to move after trading six players leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline.