Kevin Durant is leaving for Brooklyn but Golden State is acquiring D’Angelo Russell via sign-and-trade, according to a report from ESPN, which cites unidentified league sources.
To clear space for Russell’s four-year, $117 million contract, Golden State is dealing Andre Iguodala and a draft pick to Memphis.
The Nets preferred not to partner Russell with Kyrie Irving, so this agreement is ideal for them. The Warriors’ Klay Thompson will likely miss a majority of 2019-20 recovering from an ACL injury he suffered in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals, so Russell could provide valuable production for Golden State’s backcourt in Thompson’s absence.
Russell had a career year and made the All-Star team with Brooklyn in 2019-20. He averaged 21.1 points and 7.0 assists in 81 games in 2018-19.
It appears like Golden State won’t be as depleted as many thought it would be, but it’ll have to build chemistry with a roster significantly different from those of the past three seasons.
