The NBA trade deadline is days away with speculations expected to reach a feverish pitch. That would include the case of D'Angelo Russell of the Golden State Warriors, someone who has not been spared from potential trade talk.
For some, hearing Russell in trade talks is old news and something that may be a waste of time. It has been repeatedly said that the Dubs have no immediate plans of trading the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft.
If ever the Warriors do trade away Russell, pundits believe the earliest could be by the NBA offseason. However, a DLO trade could happen only if the Warriors are given an offer that would be hard to refuse. And it appears that stand will continue.
Marc Stein of the New York Times reveals that the Warriors are listening to pitches. Citing sources, the team that wants the 6-foot-4 guard so badly is Minnesota. Aware of the need to add more quality guards following the departure of Jeff Teague, Russell looms as a logical fit. Teague was dealt back to the Atlanta Hawks last month, NBA.com reported.
At the moment, the Timberwolves have Shabazz Napier manning the point. But after him, head coach Ryan Saunders has no one else to rely on. The Timberwolves do have Jordan McLaughlin, but the rookie guard is on a two-way contract. This means that his number of days with the team is limited.
The Warriors may only agree if they get something tempting in return. That could come in the form of a top pick in the next NBA Draft. If not, it could be an established veteran that can be reliable for the Dubs for the remainder of the season.
The issue here for Golden State it that DLO is a focal point on offense right now. With Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry still recovering from their injuries, head coach Steve Kerr has been banking on the one-time NBA All-Star.
The Warriors and the Timberwolves are not expected to reach the NBA playoffs. The Dubs are at the bottom of the NBA Western Conference with an 11-39 win-loss record. The T-Wolves are the only team ahead of them with a 15-33 mark.
Unless some other team enters the fray, Russell is likely to stay. Minnesota may want to pray that no other team enters the picture until Feb. 6. Come the offseason, they can revisit a potential deal with the Dubs for DLO.
