D'Angelo Russell and the Warriors await Thursday's trade deadline
On Wednesday, D'Angelo Russell faces the Nets for the first time since they traded him to the Warriors last summer. Credit: AP/Jeff Chiu
It was the eve of the NBA trade deadline with his name swirling in rumors. He sat out a game on Monday with a quad injury, but nothing was going to stop D’Angelo Russell from facing the Nets for the first time since they traded him to the Warriors last summer.
As Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters before the game Wednesday night at Barclays Center, “I know he’s excited to play. We had a good shootaround this morning, and he’s ready to roll.”
According to the most recent reports, the Timberwolves and the Knicks have been the most aggressive in pursuit of Russell, but neither has met the Warriors’ high asking price. There’s a reason for that. Kerr and Russell both told Newsday during an interview Monday in Washington that they are intrigued to see what might happen when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are healthy enough to share the floor with Russell.
“I think it would be dangerous, guys that can shoot, pass and make plays for others,” Russell said. “That’s what the league is about, especially when you have guards that can lead by example and lead the team as well.”
Russell said he has strong relationships with Curry, who has been limited to four games by hand surgery, and Thompson, who is out for the season recovering from knee surgery. “It’s beautiful,”Russell said. “I’ve gotten to play with Draymond [Green] a lot this year. Steph has been out, but we’ve developed a relationship and Klay, as well. Chemistry is really off the court. We’ve been developing that aura. I’m looking forward to playing with those guys healthy.”
Many have wondered how it might look with three high-scoring, ball-dominant guards in the same lineup.
“Well, that’s the question,” Kerr said. “You never know until you actually see it. You can try to figure it out and put stuff on the board and say, ‘This is what we would run, and this is how we would defend.’ But until you see it, you don’t know. Ultimately, we’re just going to have to see how it all plays out.”
They will know a lot more by the 3 p.m. ET deadline on Thursday.
Greg Logan has worked for Newsday since 1982 covering a wide array of sports and events, currently including the Brooklyn Nets beat.
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