NBA Trade Rumors: Timberwolves targeting D'Angelo Russell; Warriors in no rush to trade the All-Star
What's the rumor?
After trading Jeff Teague to the Atlanta Hawks, it seems that the Minnesota Timberwolves will be in the market to sign a point guard ahead of the trade deadline. D'Angelo Russell has been strongly linked with a move to the Timberwolves since last summer, and while The Athletic is reporting that Minnesota's front office is stepping up its attempts to sign the All-Star - the Warriors remain reluctant to trade away the 23-year-old:
New team president Gersson Rosas and the rest of his front office have been actively pursuing deals on a number of fronts... That includes intensifying their pursuit of Golden State Warriors guard D’Angelo Russell. Discussions have yielded no traction to this point. So far, Golden State has been inclined to keep Russell.
In case you didn't know...
Russell was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the second overall pick of the 2015 NBA draft, although he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets after just two seasons as the Lakers favored Lonzo Ball. Nevertheless, following a mixed spell in Los Angeles, Russell started living up to his considerable potential in Brooklyn and was named as an All-Star during the 2018-19 season after averaging 21.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per contest.
Russell was once again on the move last summer as he was sent to the Warriors as part of the sign-and-trade deal that took Kevin Durant to the Nets. Injuries have restricted him to just 24 appearances for his new team, although he is a career-high 23.3 points while shooting 43 percent from the field.
The heart of the matter
The Timberwolves are eager to add another young star alongside the outstanding Karl-Anthony Towns - and Russell would be a perfect fit. However, the Warriors are expected to be without Klay Thompson for the remainder of the season, while Steph Curry's status is also in question. Due to this, the Warriors will only be tempted by a huge offer, and the point guard is likely to remain in Golden State until at least the end of the current campaign.
What's next?
The Warriors will face off against the Denver Nuggets this evening. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are back in action on Friday as they take on the Indiana Pacers.