NBA Trade Deadline 2020: One trade every team should make

Golden State Warriors: D’Angelo Russell for the Orlando Magic’s Evan Fournier, D.J. Augustin, and unprotected 2020 second-rounder

Reason for Golden State: D’Angelo Russell has quietly had another very good season in 2019-20, keeping a solid 3-point percentage while launching a career-high number of attempts, passing fairly well, and getting to the line better than ever before. However, he was a disaster with Steph Curry when the two were playing together, and that’s really the most important thing that Golden State should factor in to its evaluation of Russell’s value. Evan Fournier would not be a disaster. In fact, as a great catch-and-shoot shooter, as well as a good defender and initiator, Fournier would be brilliant alongside Curry and Klay Thompson. His size, defense and ability to play off the ball are all improvements on Russell. Plus, the Warriors save money, gain a draft pick, and keep their own valuable first-rounder this year. The Warriors don’t have many second-rounders going forward, and they need to restock the cupboard. Talent-wise, this would be a big upgrade for the Warriors for next year, when the team would look to contend again. A lineup of Curry-Thompson-Fournier-Draymond Green-Omari Spellman would be pretty terrifying.

Reason for Orlando: D.J. Augustin lost his starting job to Markelle Fultz this year. Though Fultz has been awesome and one of the best stories of the NBA year, he’s not ready to lead a team into the playoffs as the most reliable guard and on-ball creator. Enter Russell. He would give the Magic, a great defensive team lacking offense in stretches, their second deadliest offensive weapon, another great shooter and the point guard for which they have been looking. The Magic would be the team no one wants to face in the playoffs next year. Fournier would be a loss, but the upside is just too great with this trade. The Magic would be especially deadly when Isaac comes back next year.