Warriors Trade Rumors: D'Angelo Russell-Aaron Gordon Swap a 'Hard' No
January 10, 2020
The Golden State Warriors are reportedly a "hard 'no'" when it comes to a potential blockbuster deal featuring Dubs guard D'Angelo Russell and Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Sam Amick of The Athletic listed both Russell and Gordon on his NBA trade big board Friday but noted a Warriors source called any move involving Russell "unlikely."
The 23-year-old Ohio State product has faced constant trade speculation since Golden State acquired him in a July sign-and-trade deal with the Brooklyn Nets that allowed Kevin Durant to complete his move to Brooklyn.
It's assumed Russell will be the odd man out in the Warriors backcourt when the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, are both healthy.
That's not going to happen this season, though. Thompson is expected to miss the entire 2019-20 campaign to recover from a torn ACL suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals, while Curry has been sidelined since late October with a hand injury.
That's led to a massive role for Russell, though he's dealt with injury issues of his own, as he's missed the last five games because of a bruised shoulder. He has averaged 23.2 points, 6.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 three-pointers across 22 appearances.
Last week, he told Wes Goldberg of the Bay Area News Group he wanted to stay with the Warriors.
"I would love for this to be home," Russell said. "I have a four-year contract. I would love to be here even three years. That would set my record."
Meanwhile, Gordon's name figures to become among the most discussed over the next month.
His numbers are down a bit from the previous two seasons. He's averaging 13.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 41.0 percent from the field, including 27.1 percent on threes.
Combined with his four-year, $80 million contract, that might limit the amount and level of assets Orlando can command in a trade.
That said, his track record as a versatile offensive weapon suggests he could be a strong secondary contributor for a contender.