Why the Warriors are unlikely to trade D’Angelo Russell

D’Angelo Russell is the most notable player in NBA rumors ahead of Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline, but it’s going to take an awfully big offer to get the Golden State Warriors to bite.

Nothing’s gone Golden State’s way over the last few months with Kevin Durant shipping out to Brooklyn, Klay Thompson tearing his ACL, and Steph Curry missing most of the year to a fracture in his hand. But Russell’s strong play, especially recently, has been a bright spot. The 23-year-old is averaging a career-best 24 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent shooting from deep. He’s also averaging six assists to three turnovers with a ghastly roster. There’s still hope he can do even more with a good one.

Russell’s a very good player who the Warriors still aren’t sure fits in their long-term plans. Golden State acquired him in July despite already having Curry because the options were to either take a chance on a promising player or lose Durant for nothing. They’ve received little clarity nearly five months into the season. He’s never played a game with Thompson and played just four with Curry before his hand injury.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, who badly wanted Russell over the summer, are even more desperate to land him at the 2020 trade deadline. On Tuesday night, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that a multi-team deal was completed that included the Wolves sending off Robert Covington and a slew of role players for Malik Beasley, Juancho Hernangomez, Evan Turner, Jarred Vanderbilt, and a first-round pick from the Brooklyn Nets that was transferred by the Hawks. All could become pieces that lead to a Russell trade.

Is Russell’s Warriors tenure about to end? Maybe, but probably not. This is what Minnesota is working against.

The short answer: The Warriors would need to be blown away by an offer from the Wolves because there are financial limits on the package Golden State can receive in return this season that won’t exist if they simply wait until the summer.

Now, here’s the long answer: Many were surprised the Warriors dealt for Russell last year instead of simply letting Durant walk or taking in a trade exception by moving Durant’s salary to Brooklyn for other contracts worth much less money. Instead, Golden State took the talent that was in front of them, executing a complicated sign-and-trade maneuver to get Russell on a four-year, $117 million maximum contract.

Any team that receives a player in a sign-and-trade imposes a de-facto hard cap on itself. Under no circumstances can their total team payroll exceed a threshold known as the “apron.” This season, the “apron” was set at $138,928,000. The Warriors’ bill currently sits at $136,356,160.

This is a complex way of saying that while the Wolves want to push for a trade now, Golden State is better off waiting until the summer, when they’d have the flexibility to take on more salary that they give up in a Russell trade.

Looking past the finances, Russell is only 23 years old. He hasn’t reached his full potential yet as a player, and the Warriors have him under contract for three more years.

Maybe Russell can fit in with the Warriors superstars after all. A three-guard lineup with Russell, Curry, and Thompson sounds like fun on paper, and the Warriors have never seen it in action. Maybe it’s worth holding onto Russell to see how that group works before moving him for short-term pieces of a championship puzzle.

The Warriors stink right now, and they can stink for the rest of the year with no consequences. Their best players are under contract, their fans were just fed one of the most exhilarating five-year runs in sports history, and Curry and Thompson are nearing return. They aren’t the franchise rushing for a quick-fix solution this season.

While the idea of a three-guard lineup could work in theory, there’s a chance that Russell doesn’t pan out in Golden State. Playing off the ball will be a transition in itself, and being third in the shooting pecking order behind Curry and Thompson could mitigate Russell’s worth.

That means wooing the Warriors is possible, albeit unlikely. If the Wolves can find a package that blows the Warriors away while keeping them below the salary apron, the Warriors may just pull the trigger anyway. That may come in the form of one or two players who can help the team compete for a championship next year, and additional picks Golden State can leverage into another talent or use to shed unwanted contracts.

There’s still time to find common ground. But the clock is running out for the Wolves, while it hardly budges for the Warriors.