The Golden State Warriors have stated their intentions to keep newly-acquired guard D’Angelo Russell, but a recent trade suggestion has the Warriors parting ways with him.
Going all the way back to the Warriors’ first championship, they have lacked size to protect the rim and rebound at an elite level.
In order for the Warriors to address this need, they would have to give someone up, potentially their newest, young star Russell.
It was recently suggested by Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz that the Pistons and Warriors could make a trade that would address areas of need for both teams.
The trade would send Andre Drummond to the Bay and Russell to the Motor City.
Who better for the Warriors to go after than the three-time NBA rebounding leader?
In those three years as the leading rebounder, Drummond averaged 14.8 in the 2015-2016 season, 16.0 in the 2017-2018 season and 15.6 in the 2018-2019 season.
Details and reasoning behind the potential trade:
Pistons Receive: PG D’Angelo Russell, C Willie Cauley-Stein
Warriors Receive: C Andre Drummond, SF Sekou Doumbouya, 2020 1st-round pick (lottery-protected)
“While the Pistons get their long-term answer at point guard, the Warriors address the only two non-All-Star spots in their starting lineup.”
“Enter Drummond, who has led the NBA in rebounding three of the past four years and scored a career-high 17.3 points per game last season. Even though Curry and Thompson are knockdown shooters, Drummond can get them plenty of extra chances while keeping opposing bigs off the glass.”
“Doumbouya, 18, is a massive wing (6’9″, 230 lbs) who projects to become a quality two-way small forward. The Pistons’ 15th overall pick, Doumbouya could be a key piece in keeping the Warriors dynasty alive. Golden State also picks up a lottery-protected pick from Detroit to help bolster its bench.”
“The Pistons are stuck in NBA purgatory, and adding a young All-Star point guard in Russell, 23, raises the ceiling. The No. 2 pick in the 2015 draft averaged 21.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals last season, leading the Brooklyn Nets to the playoffs following a dreadful 28-win season the year before. Current Pistons point guard Reggie Jackson only has one year left on his deal, and Derrick Rose has averaged just over 38 healthy games per season over the past eight years. Russell is under contract for the next four years and could create one of the Eastern Conference’s best one-two combos with Blake Griffin.”
From this trade, the Pistons would bolster their backcourt with an All-Star guard, while the Warriors would get an All-Star quality big man and big body in the frontcourt.
The odds are that the deal never happens, but maybe it will get some consideration.
