On the eve of the NBA trade deadline, both Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III have been scratched from the Warriors’ lineup against the Brooklyn Nets.
It’s been a whirlwind of rumors leading up to the NBA trade deadline for the Golden State Warriors. Over the past five seasons, the Warriors have stayed quiet during the deadline. However, in 2019-20, Golden State has been in the middle of trade chatter across the league.
Leading the buzz is 23-year-old Warriors guard, D’Angelo Russell. Reports have pointed to several teams, including the New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves, tapping Russell as a trade target.
While the NBA world is focusing on the status of Russell, Golden State has been active with veterans in their lineup. Willie Cauley Stein was moved to the Dallas Mavericks, and now, Golden State looks to be close to dealing swingmen, Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III.
Both Burks and Robinson III have been removed from the lineup before the start of the Warriors game in Brooklyn, with a trade imminent before tomorrow’s deadline, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Glenn Robinson, along with Alec Burks, has also been pulled from the Warriors lineup tonight. Warriors also closing in on dealing him, I’m hearing.
Both Burks and Robinson III have had breakout years in their first season with Golden State. Burks is averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game with Golden State. Burks has been one of Steve Kerr’s most consistent scorers, dropping 30-points or more twice this season.
Robinson III, only 26-years-old has been an ironman for Golden State in an injury tested season for the rest of the roster. The former Michigan Wolverine started all but three games for Golden State, averaging 12.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
If Golden State does decide to move on from Burks and Robinson III officially, each will provide to be a viable option off the bench for a contending team.
With the trade deadline around the corner, Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the Warriors are “investigating deals that shed salary and lower their tax bill” but can bring back draft value as well.
The NBA trade deadline is quickly approaching, and for the first time in years, the Golden State Warriors are in the middle of all the rumors. Competing in five-straight NBA titles with a roster that features four healthy All-Star caliber players has left the Warriors content in trade deadlines of the past. However, in the 2019-20 season, things are changing.
The Warriors have already traded center Willie Cauley-Stein to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for a second-round pick, and with the deadline to make trades right around the corner, the rumors around Golden State are heating up.
When it comes to the deadline, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Warriors are “investigating deals that shed salary and lower tax bill — as well as bring back some draft value.”
Golden State, Minnesota traded deal concepts today and tonight — but a significant gulf remains. Warriors are investigating deals that shed salary and lower tax bill — as well as bring back some draft value. Holding onto D'Angelo Russell thru deadline has always been an option. https://t.co/77s2keXl9a
Wojnarowski mentions that the Warriors could hold onto Russell through the deadline. If a team can’t meet Golden State’s pricepoint, seeing Russell alongside a healthy Stephen Curry would be an intriguing option for Warriors’ decision-makers.
Curry has played only four games this season, limiting any opportunity for Russell and the two-time Most Valuable Player to build chemistry. If Curry’s rehab from his broken hand injury continues to go as planned, he could return sometime in March, giving him and Russell around 20 games to play together before the end of the season.
If the Curry and Russell backcourt experiment fails, the Warriors could look to tweak their roster over the offseason instead of the upcoming trade deadline.
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives our Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. Which stars have stood out thus far?
Each week, HoopsHype’s staff gives the Top 10 candidates for this year’s Most Valuable Player award. This list highlights stars who are in the mix for the 2019-20 MVP award due to their impressive play.
Which stars have stood out? Here are our latest MVP rankings:
This season has been a rollercoaster for the Philadelphia 76ers, who have gone on several hot and cold streaks. The point forward has made 271 field goals in the restricted area this season, which ranks fourth-best in the league. His unique size has helped him pull down rebounds on 5.5 percent of his squad’s missed field goals, per Cleaning The Glass, which is the best rate among point guards. Simmons also has defensive rebounds on 31.7 percent of opponent’s missed free throws, also the best among point guards. On the defensive end, Simmons is averaging an NBA-best 2.1 steals per game. He also leads all players in both loose balls recovered (87) and deflections (190) this season.
Jimmy Butler has found a perfect home on the Miami Heat. The five-time All-Star is averaging 1.46 points per possession in transition, which ranks No. 1 in the league (minimum: 100 possessions) in 2019-20. He just put up a season-high 39 points per game against the Philadelphia 76ers. His career-best assist rate (28.6 percent) puts him in the 96th percentile among all NBA wings. Butler has been a fantastic hustler, too. He currently ranks sixth-best in steals (1.8 SPG), sixth-best in deflections per game (3.6) and sixth-best in loose balls recovered per game (1.6) thus far.
Once again, Kawhi Leonard is having a sensational season on both ends of the court. The biggest issue is that he has only played 38 games, though the Clippers have won 30 of those. He is averaging 2.1 steals per game since January, tied with Simmons for the best in the NBA. The Clippers have scored 120.4 points per 100 possessions with Leonard on the court since December 1. That gives Leonard the second-best offensive rating among all players in the league (minimum: 25 minutes per game) during that span.
Denver’s Nikola Jokic has been one of the most multidimensional players in the league over the past few seasons. He is shooting 43.7 percent on jump shots, which ranks Top 10 among all players who have taken at least 400 jumpers thus far. The center ranks second-best in the NBA on field goals made (77) within five to nine feet of the basket. His field goal percentage (61.6 percent) is the best among those with more than thirty attempts. He has recorded 10 triple-doubles in 2019-20, which ranks third-best in the NBA. His assist percentage (34.5 percent) and assist-to-usage rate (1.19) are both in the 100th percentile among all big men, per Cleaning the Glass.
The second-year superstar has been sensational for the Mavericks, leading Dallas to an impressive 62.0 winning percentage this season. His team has played very well even when they are not playing at home, as we recently noted. The guard has averaged 29.1 points per game on the road, second-best in the NBA. Doncic has scored 13.9 PPG as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll possessions, per Synergy Sports, which ranks third-best in the league. As a primary playmaker, his assist percentage (53.8 percent) ranks second-best behind only LeBron James among those with at least 100 minutes played. He leads the league with a dozen triple-doubles so far this season.
Davis is shooting 210-of-280 (75.0 percent) in the restricted area, which is the best among all players who have had at least 200 attempts this season. The big man is averaging 1.12 points per possession, according to Synergy Sports, which ranks second-best among those who have finished at least 800 possessions this season. Davis has more loose balls recovered per game (1.9) than anyone who has played at least ten games. The Lakers are currently 33-9 (.786 percent) in games when their superstar acquisition has played.
Since our last MVP Race update, Portland’s Damian Lillard is averaging 39.0 points with 5.8 three-pointers per game. The Trail Blazers have three wins and just one loss during this stretch, helping bounce back from a rough start to the season. Lillard is also leading the league in scoring with 34.3 PPG since January 1. He has hit 66 three-pointers from at least 28 feet, which is over five feet from beyond the NBA’s three-point line. That is over a dozen more than anyone else in the league has made in 2019-20. He is averaging 1.13 points per possession, per Synergy Sports, which ranks No. 1 overall among those who have finished at least 800 possessions this season. Lillard also leads all players with 757 points scored as the ballhandler in pick-and-roll possessions.
Knowing that narrative plays a big role in MVP voting, the momentum is there for the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. He currently leads the league with 10.7 assists per game. The 35-year-old superstar is also putting up a career-high 2.1 three-pointers connected per game, including five three’s in less than three minutes against the San Antonio Spurs last night. He keeps putting up monumental performances, putting up outstanding numbers while also helping elevate the play of another star teammate in Davis. The more he keeps winning for the Lakers, the better the odds he will have of winning his fifth Most Valuable Player Award.
Harden has connected on 208 non-corner three-pointers, over twenty more than anyone else has hit thus far. The guard leads the league in jump shots (313) in 2019-20. He has once again been fantastic creating his own shot, too. Only 14.6 percent of his three-pointers have been assisted, which is the best among all players in the NBA. Harden has scored 16.2 points per game on isolation possessions, per Synergy, which is nearly ten points more than any other player in the league. In fact, his 762 points scored on this play type is more than any other team besides his own Houston Rockets. To put that in perspective, the Milwaukee Bucks lead the Eastern Conference with just 386 points scored in isolation.
He is averaging 8.7 points per game when operating in a transition offense, per Synergy. That ranks No. 1 overall in the NBA, over a point and a half more than anyone else thus far. He has the second-most dunks (141) and the most double-doubles (41) among all players in the league in 2019-20. His rebound percentage (18.8 percent) ranks Top 10 among all players who have averaged at least 20 minutes per game. Most important, though: Milwaukee is currently outscoring opponents by 14.4 points per 100 possessions when he has been on the court so far this season. That ranks as the best among those who have averaged at least 25 minutes per game.
Theo Pinson went off for the Long Island Nets in his last game with Brooklyn’s G League affiliate.
Theo Pinson will get a chance to catch up with former Brooklyn teammate D’Angelo Russell on Wednesday as the guard and his Golden State teammates take on the Nets at Barclays Center. Pinson has been recalled from the Long Island Nets, Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, ahead of the matchup with the Warriors.
In his last game with Long Island — which the Nets won 117-110 over the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks’ G League affiliate — Pinson took over. He scored 32 points on 12-for-19 shooting (4-for-7 from 3-point territory). Pinson also had nine rebounds, three assists and two steals in the win.
In his six games with Long Island this season, Pinson has averaged 16.7 points on 51.5% shooting (43.4% from beyond the arc, 68.8% at the free-throw line). He has also grabbed 5.5 rebounds per game while logging 3.3 assists and one steal per night.
Pinson has only played in six games for Brooklyn since the calendar turned over.
Previewing Wednesday’s Golden State Warriors at Brooklyn Nets sports betting odds and lines, with NBA matchup analysis, picks and best bets.
The Golden State Warriors (12-39) wrap up their five-game road trip Wednesday night against the Brooklyn Nets (22-27). Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. We analyze the Warriors-Nets odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.
Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.
Warriors at Nets: Key injuries
Warriors
PG Stephen Curry (hand) out
SG Klay Thompson (ACL) out
Nets
PG Kyrie Irving (knee) out
SF Kevin Durrant (Achilles) out
Warriors at Nets: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips
NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 12:45 p.m. ET.
The Warriors (+230) wrap up their five-game roadie in Brooklyn. It will be a reunion for Warriors PG D’Angelo Russell, who was an All-Star for the Nets last season, assuming he is not traded before the game. The Warriors have won their last two contests, but only three of their last 10. They are 5-22 on the road this season, although they have won three of their last five road games.
The NETS (-286) are a very average 14-12 at home for the season, but they have won three in a row at Barclays Center. They are again without Irving, but they don’t lose much with Spencer Dinwiddie in the lineup. Brooklyn is 9-7 on the money line when favored at home.
There isn’t much value, but taking the NETS at -286 is the no-brainer if you want to put money on the line.
New to sports betting? A $10 wager on Brooklyn returns a profit of $3.50.
The Nets are sizable home favorites at -6.5 (-110). After a really bad streak of failing to cover in five straight games and 12 of 14, they have covered the spread in three of their last games. They are 14-12 ATS at home, which matches their overall 14-12 record.
The Warriors are fairly competitive on the road. They are 14-13 ATS as visitors and that record is identical as underdogs because they have not been favored on the road yet this season.
If Russell ends up getting traded or held out because of a potential trade, it will be a blowout. Even with him, expect the Nets to have their way with the Warriors, who are weary after a long road trip and looking to get back home to Oakland.
Take the NETS (-6.5, -110) to win by at least 7 points.
The total is set for 221.5 points. Golden State has played Over the total in six of its last seven games. The Warriors are 14-13 O/U on the road, and Brooklyn is 13-12-1 O/U at home. Even without Irving, the Nets can put up points and the Warriors have given up an average of 121 points per game over their last eight. They have gone over 100 points themselves in eight of their last 10 games, so this is easy. Take the OVER 221.5 (-121).
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The Warriors and Timberwolves haven’t been able to agree on a deal that would send D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota and now Golden State is “moving on” according to reports.
As the clock ticks down to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, the rumors continue to buzz around one member of the Golden State Warriors. D’Angelo Russell has been in the middle of a lot of trade chatter since the time he landed with the Golden State Warriors.
With the trade deadline around the corner, noise linking Russell to a move has heated up. Multiple teams like the New York Knicks have been connected to Russell, but the team that’s led the way has been the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Since Russell hit free agency over the offseason, the Timberwolves have been a rumored destination. Now in Golden State, the T-Wolves have been trying to work a deal to bring Russell to Minnesota.
However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the talks between Golden State and Minnesota regarding a Russell trade are slowing down.
Golden State is moving on from D’Angelo Russell conversations with Minnesota at this juncture, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA@Stadium. Warriors have been clear with Minnesota on price point — and Timberwolves, to this point, are not willing to meet it.
Russell is only 23-years-old and has yet to build chemistry with Golden State’s two-time Most Valuable Player, Stephen Curry. Curry has missed all but four games in Russell’s first season with the Warriors. The three-time NBA champion could return from his broken hand in March, giving Russell and Curry around 20 games to play as a backcourt tandem.
If Russell stays in Golden State past the trade deadline, it will give Steve Kerr and Bob Myers a better view on how the former Ohio State Buckeye would fit on a healthy Warriors squad.
D’Angelo Russell is expected to return from a quad contusion against the Brooklyn Nets.
While trade deadline news leads to many headlines, the Golden State Warriors still have basketball games on the schedule. To end their five-game road trip, the Warriors will travel to Brooklyn for a chance at winning three-consecutive games.
Helping the Warriors odds at heading back to San Francisco with a winning road trip is the return of D’Angelo Russell. Russell missed Golden State’s game in Washington with a quad contusion, but the team was able to seal a victory without him.
Alec Burks led the team in scoring without Russell in Washington, dropping 30-points off the bench. Sophomore guard Jacob Evans III started in the Louisville native’s spot as he dealt with a quad injury.
Against Kyrie Irving, Spencer Dinwiddie and the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State could use the talent of Russell.
Wednesday night would be Russell’s first appearance in Brooklyn, where he spent two seasons before coming to Golden State. Last season Russell led the Brooklyn Nets to a playoff bid in the Eastern Conference while also netting an All-Star nod. With the Nets, Russell averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists per game in 81 contests.
With Golden State, Russell has taken over as Steve Kerr’s offensive initiator, leading the team in scoring with 23.8 points per game while adding 6.3 assists. The former Ohio State Buckeye is shooting 43.3 % from the field and 38.3 % from beyond the arc.
Golden State Warriors’ guard D’Angelo Russell has had his name in the middle of several trade rumors and right now he says he’s “comfortable with being uncomfortable.”
With the deadline approaching, trade rumors are flying throughout the league — with one member of the Golden State Warriors in the middle of it all. Since his arrival in San Francisco, trade buzz has swirled around D’Angelo Russell’s name.
With the Warriors struggling in his first season in Golden State, Russell has been connected as a trade target for multiple teams. There have been reports that both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the New York Knicks have tried to pursue a deal that would land one of them the 23-year-old All-Star.
Regardless of the trade noise, the former Ohio State Buckeye is still the leading scorer for the Warriors with games left on the schedule before the NBA trade deadline hits on Thursday.
On the Warriors off day before visiting the Brooklyn Nets in the final game of their five-game road trip, Russell spoke about seeing his name involved in trade rumors.
I’m comfortable with being uncomfortable right now in my profession — this time in my career a lot of teams, they want a point guard, and I’m bouncing around, why not put me in those talks and try to get me — so I understand the business side of what’s going on — it’s not nothing new of what I’ve been through — I can’t lie and say I don’t see it, I obviously see it. I have to answer questions about it, see it on social; I got to turn the TV on and hear about it — it is what it is.
D’Angelo Russell on the trade chatter surrounding him: “I’m comfortable being uncomfortable.” pic.twitter.com/B5VeHqnCje
The Warriors won their last game without Russell as he sat out against the Washington Wizards with a quad contusion. Reports indicate Russell is expected to play against his former team, Brooklyn, in the Warriors’ final game before the trade deadline.
By the time Golden State returns to the Bay Area later in the week, Russell will be able to fade the trade noise and focus on basketball, whether if it’s with the Warriors or a new team.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers have former agents running their front offices. The New York Knicks may follow that model.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers have former agents running their front offices. The New York Knicks may follow that model.
Golden State hired Wasserman Media Group’s Bob Myers back in 2011 while Los Angeles brought on Landmark Sports founder Rob Pelinka in 2017. Both have since been promoted to become president of basketball operations for those marquee franchises.
New York moved on from their president of basketball operations Steve Mills on Tuesday morning, per reports. Mills began working with the Knicks in 2003 and took over as their president of basketball operations in July 2017.
ESPN Sources with @ramonashelburne: Knicks owner Jim Dolan is already considering a front office model that is working with Golden State (Bob Myers) and the Lakers (Rob Pelinka): Hiring a top basketball executive out of the player agent ranks.
General manager Scott Perry will take over his role in the interim, per several reports. But according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne, the Knicks’ ownership group is considering replacing Mills with an NBPA certified agent.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported that CAA’s Austin Brown (co-head of basketball for the company) is one of the agents being considered for the position.
Brown currently represents last year’s No. 1 pick ZionWilliamson. Other clients include former NBA All-Star D’Angelo Russell (who has been linked to New York in recent trade rumors), Donovan Mitchell, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kyle Kuzma and various other prominent players.
This would follow a trend for the Knicks, who were known to be swayed by the agency when Carmelo Anthony (represented by CAA’s Leon Rose) was the star player for the team.
Here is what Kurt Helin wrote about the connections to the agency at the time (via NBC Sports):
“If you listen to the scuttlebutt around the league, Andrea Bargnani is a Knick because he is a CAA/Leon Rose client just like ‘Melo (why else would you take on that contract?). Why did the Knicks give a roster spot to Chris Smith, JR’s brother? CAA. That’s just the tip of the rumor iceberg.”
Before 13-time NBA champion Phil Jackson took over basketball operations for the Knicks in 2014, he “vowed to relinquish the team’s close ties” with the prominent agency.
Phil, on the team's CAA ties: "Those won't hold weight with me."
Their former head coach Mike Woodson, who was represented by CAA, was fired by the organization just a few weeks after the comments by Jackson. JR Smith, a former CAA client, was traded by the Knicks to the Cleveland Cavaliers a few months later. Bargnani played just one more season for New York under Jackson’s leadership.
While the team publicly distanced themselves from CAA’s influence over the past few years, it is no surprise to see them considering Brown or another agent, considering Myers and Pelinka have had success in their current roles.
For what it is worth: Across town and in a different league back in October 2018, the New York Mets hired former CAA Co-Head of Baseball Brodie Van Wagenen as their general manager back in 2018. Before joining the franchise, he represented several players (e.g. Yoenis Cespedes, Jacob DeGrom, Robinson Cano and even minor leaguer Tim Tebow) on the team.
Russell is being chased by multiple teams, Iguodala might not return this season if he doesn’t get dealt and more of the latest rumors.
RUSSELL ON THE MOVE AFTER ALL? The original belief was that the Warriors, who will certainly be sellers, were set to hold onto All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell and trade him over the summer after they’ve had time to evaluate him for a full season. As it turns out, however, that might not necessarily be set in stone, as it was reported Monday that Golden State is listening to pitches for their talented young ball-handler, with a few teams registering interest.
One of those teams is obvious; the Timberwolves have long been rumored to badly covet Russell, not just for his obvious talent level and their huge need in the backcourt, but because of his friendship with Karl-Anthony Towns, who’s experiencing a rough season in Minnesota, and not due to his own contributions.
But another team popped up as having interest in Russell, one that we hadn’t heard about on this front before, and that was the Knicks. Some of the players that were mentioned as heading back to Golden State in a theoretical swap for Russell were Bobby Portis and Frank Ntilikina, both of who could be solid role players on an elite team, which the Warriors believe they’ll be next season.
MORE TRADE SCUTTLE: The rumors are running rampant now with the trade deadline under three days away. Here’s just some of the latest. (For more, you can check out our Trade Rumors page.)
The Wizards want to improve at the deadline so as to show Bradley Beal they’re serious about turning things around, and one player they are reportedly targeting is Tristan Thompson. He’d be interesting there, setting strong picks for Beal and John Wall and finishing out of the pick-and-roll.
FUTURE COACH? John Wall has spent a ton of time rehabbing over the past 13 months, but he hasn’t let it go to waste. Wall is using his time off to sharpen his basketball mind, and he hopes he can use this experience to become a coach or front-office member in his post-playing career.
RAGS TO RICHES: A dude who spent over a decade playing semi-professional basketball and eventually gave up on his dream of reaching the NBA following a failed tryout with the Knicks in 2016 turned to fashion, and has now become a successful jeans designer.
OOPS: Spurs big man Jakob Poeltl checked into last night’s San Antonio game – like, legitimately got on the court – without his jersey on. It was hilarious.
