Warriors Want Wolves 2020 Tank Pick in Trade for D’Angelo Russell

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With the deadline looming on Thursday, the Warriors and Timberwolves remain engaged in trade conversations centered around D’Angelo Russell, league sources told The Athletic. There remain obstacles to overcome, but if the teams were to pull off a deal, it could be the closest thing to the kind of blockbuster that often highlights the frantic final days before the deadline.

The Athletic – 9 AM | 2/3/2020

Alright, I posted a blog this morning on a Woj Bomb that had Robert Covington “confidently” leaving town before we hit Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. After seeing this latest report out of The Athletic, Golden State seems like a natural landing spot for a team that will absolutely need a 3 and D wing like Covington, who also has a great contract and top-level leadership qualities.

The Wolves also badly want to get their hands on D’Angelo Russell… so Robert Covington as the centerpiece to that deal, makes sense. How badly do the Timberwolves want D-Lo on their team?

Well, it’s getting to a weird level…

Getting D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota is clearly something that Gersson Rosas feels is necessary, to keep Karl-Anthony Towns happy. It makes sense. Towns and D-Lo are best friends. Those two and Devin Booker have openly talked about wanting to play together in the future.

If you get two of those three here, under max contracts, then getting that 3-headed monster to settle down in Minnesota eventually… actually looks realistic.

But, here’s the problem:

So far in the Warriors-Timberwolves talks, Golden State would only consider a deal that has significant draft pick compensation as part of any Minnesota package, according to league sources. As a team currently in a rebuild, the Timberwolves are reluctant to sacrifice too much of their own draft capital in deals, including one for Russell.

The Athletic – 9 AM | 2/3/2020

Well that throws a wrench into things… since the LAST thing the Wolves want to be sending away in any trades, is “significant draft pick compensation”.. What the Warriors actually want, is our 2020 first rounder that we are currently tanking so hard for.

Luckily…. that’s where Gersson is drawing the line.

Minnesota is believed to have drawn a line in the sand in any Russell trade talks with the Warriors, that being an unwillingness to part with its unprotected 2020 first-round pick.

The Athletic – 9 AM | 2/3/2020

There are a couple of things that make me very nervous about this current situation. The Wolves are playing from behind. They seem desperate (see Zach Harper tweet above) to land D-Lo and the Warriors are in no hurry to move him until the offseason.

Don’t rush this. I know Karl is unhappy but Rosas needs to see the forest through the trees. KAT will be fine. Just don’t miss on your draft pick and find a way to get D-Lo here in the offseason.

Second, I don’t know if D’Angelo Russell will be a good fit on this team anyway. The guy plays less defense than KAT or Andrew Wiggins and is another young player who has done a lot of losing. Do we really want our Big 3 to be Towns, D-Lo, and Wiggins?

Does that sound like a team (who will be completely strapped financially by 3 max deals) that can make deep Western Conference Playoff runs?

via GIPHY

Third, there is NO FUCKING WAY I am gifting Golden State TWO top-5 picks in next year’s NBA draft. Right now, the Wolves and Warriors are the two worst teams in the Western Conference.

They are already getting a top pick to pair with Curry and Thompson when they return from injury. They don’t need another one…

I will concede this: the Wolves don’t have much choice but to pursue D’Angelo Russell and find a way to get him on this roster ASAP. It’s the only way you can guarantee KAT’s patience while you try and right this sinking ship…

Just don’t give up April’s 1st round pick to get it done.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

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