For the Golden State Warriors, coping with the absence of Stephen Curry has been made easier by the presence of D'Angelo Russell. While Russell is not a Curry by any means, he certainly is a prized asset that GSW can make use of, either on the court or as a means to bolster an obviously decimated lineup.
As the All-Star is now eligible for the trade market, one way to go for the Warriors is to explore trade possibilities with Orlando Magic, which might be convinced to send Aaron Gordon in exchange.
According to Inquisitr, a deal with Orlando will allow GSW to reconfigure their crowded guard roster, currently on three-player rotation. In freeing up the logjam, the Warriors will be gaining a skilled and young player in Gordon plus a package from Orlando that likely will consist of a veteran role player, somebody in the mold of Andre Iguodala, and a future draft pick.
The best part, however, is the perception that Gordon's basketball talents will be the perfect fit for the Warriors, a benefit that will be seen once Curry and Klay Thompson are back in action.
Per the same report, Curry, Thompson, and Draymond Green working alongside Gordon should make a formidable lineup for the Warriors in the few seasons ahead.
If this reason is not compelling enough, then at least GSW should think of the future. Russell, as a trading chip, will allow the team to maximize their potential gains like in the form of winning the exact assets they wanted.
According to Fansided, Russell at the moment is a hot item, and it is advised that the Warriors seriously consider a trade deal when the offer includes a tempting package of a valuable experienced player and a first-round pick. The report said Russell is able to deliver these returns to GSW, but such a value will not last forever.
"He's a quality player right now, but as the Dubs become desperate to fit their roster to one that'll perfectly mold around Curry and Thompson, Russell's value may dip," the same report warned.
And giving up Russell will not necessarily mean that the Warriors roster, currently undermanned, will further weaken. The team has to realize Eric Paschall is around and has blossomed surprisingly in his rookie year.
With Paschall and an incoming pick from the potential Russell trade, the latter's exit is unlikely to hurt much. The Warriors have the solid foundations to build further up, which to begin will not be obtained by sticking with the recent acquisition from Brooklyn.
In the end, there are pros and cons in trading Russell before the February deadline comes, but surely, the Warriors must head to the direction where most of the benefits await.
