NBA Season Preview 2019-20: 5 players most likely to be traded

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 24: Kevin Love #0 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on in the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum on March 24, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 08: D’Angelo Russell of the Golden State Warriors watches the game between Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers on Day 4 of the 2019 Las Vegas Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 08, 2019 in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

5. D’Angelo Russell, PG, Golden State Warriors

When Kevin Durant decided to sign with the Brooklyn Nets this summer in free agency, the Golden State Warriors made lemonade out of lemons.

Rather than losing Durant for nothing, they orchestrated a double sign-and-trade with the Nets in which they landed All-Star guard D’Angelo Russell on a four-year, $117 million max deal.

However, it remains unclear how long Russell will stay in the Bay Area.

“D’Angelo Russell doesn’t fit there whatsoever,” Marc Stein of the New York Times told Dan Patrick in July. “… They just wanted to make sure they did not see Kevin Durant, arguably the best player in the league when healthy, walk out the door for nothing. They got a 23-year-old All-Star, and they will trade him. It’s just a matter of when.”

Warriors general manager Bob Myers pushed back against that notion in mid-July, telling reporters: “We didn’t sign him with the intention of just trading him. We haven’t even seen him play in our uniform yet, and a lot of people have us already trading him. That’s not how we’re viewing it. Let’s just see what we have. Let’s see what he is. Let’s see how he fits.”

With Klay Thompson likely to miss a hefty portion of the 2019-20 season as he recovers from the torn ACL he suffered during the NBA Finals, Russell figures to slot in next to Stephen Curry for the time being. But once Thompson is fully recovered, it doesn’t make sense for the Warriors to devote so much of their salary-cap space to three guards on max contracts.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were reportedly interested in acquiring Russell either via free agency or in a sign-and-trade, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, which makes them an obvious trade suitor come mid-December. They could construct a package around 3-and-D wing Robert Covington and Jeff Teague’s expiring contract, which would give Karl-Anthony Towns a much-needed sidekick on the same developmental timeline.

The Warriors may decide to stand pat with Russell this year, pursue a playoff spot and then reevaluate their options next summer. But if Thompson returns before the trade deadline, Russell may find himself on the move before long.