NBA free agency has gone bonkers with loads of deals reportedly already in the books, including D’Angelo Russell to the Golden State Warriors.
The stunning announcement was reported late Sunday night by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said Russell is going to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
Golden State and Brooklyn have agreed on a sign-and-trade, sending D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors on a four-year, $117M maximum contract, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
The deal kills Minnesota’s interest in landing the 23-year-old All-Star point guard.
Russell vitals:
- Age: 23
- Height: 6’5”
- Weight: 198 lbs
- PPG: 21.7
- AST: 7.0
- REB: 3.9
- FG: 43.4%
- 3FG: 36.9%
Russell was reportedly courted in Los Angeles by a Minnesota entourage that included star player Karl-Anthony Towns, head coach Ryan Saunders and President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas.
Wolves franchise player Karl-Anthony Towns was selected first overall in the 2015 draft. Russell was taken second by the Lakers, who traded him when he was just 21 years old and struggling to take the reigns handed to him by former Lakers president Magic Johnson.
Johnson claimed Russell wasn’t the leader the Lakers needed, but he was just that during his All-Star season as a 23-year-old in Brooklyn. Russell led the Nets to 42 wins and a berth in the 2018-19 Eastern Conference playoffs.
“I want teams to hate us. We’ve struggled over the last few years in Brooklyn. Teams are used to coming in and taking nights off,” Russell said when he arrived in Brooklyn two years ago, according to Nets Daily. “I just want to rebuild that and make it a place where people come and say, ‘alright we got the crowd against us. It’s New York.'”
Russell now goes to a team that has had no trouble winning, as the Warriors have gone to five consecutive NBA Finals, winning three of them.
How the Warriors will use Russell alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the backcourt is unknown.
Minnesota, meanwhile, might end up entering the 2019-20 season with Jeff Teague on a lame duck contract ($19 million). Tyus Jones, also a free agent, could return for another run with the Wolves.
