NBA Rumors: Warriors Could Trade D’Angelo Russell For Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, And 1st-Round Pick

As they continue to struggle in the 2019-20 NBA season, rumors surrounding All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell and the Golden State Warriors started to heat up. Russell may be currently posting impressive numbers in his first few games as a Warrior, but most people still can’t envision him being part of Golden State’s long-term plan. Once the Warriors officially make him available on the trade market, one of the NBA teams who are expected to express a strong interest in trading for Russell is the Chicago Bulls.

In the proposed trade deal by Andrew Miller of Fansided’s Pippen Ain’t Easy, the Bulls would be sending a trade package including Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn, and a future first-round pick to the Warriors in exchange for Russell and Jacob Evans. Since Russell just signed a new contract in the 2019 NBA free agency, the Warriors and the Bulls will need to wait until mid-December to make the deal. However, if the trade becomes a reality, it would definitely help both NBA teams in filling up the needs to improve their roster.

Russell wound undeniably be an incredible addition to the Bulls. Being an All-Star caliber point guard, he’s clearly an upgrade over the likes of Tomas Satoransky, Dunn, and Coby White. At 23, Russell perfectly fits the timeline of the Bulls’ young core of Lauri Markkanen, Wendell Carter Jr., and Otto Porter Jr.

The potential arrival of Russell wouldn’t make the Bulls an instant title contender, but he would definitely help them speed up the rebuilding process. If Russell, Markkanen, Carter Jr., and Porter Jr., grow together and build good chemistry, it won’t be hard to imagine the Bulls becoming a legitimate threat in the Eastern Conference once again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xaf6lJIWFM

As Miller noted, the potential deal would not only be beneficial for the Bulls but also for the Warriors.

“Another key addition that could help the Warriors is rejuvenated defensive standout point guard Kris Dunn,” Miller wrote.

“Now that Dunn found himself a solidified role in the Bulls rotation, his trade value should shoot up a bit. But Dunn is just a complimentary piece that goes along with who would be a solid third scorer in the Warriors rotation with shooting guard Zach LaVine.”

In exchange for Russell, the Warriors would be acquiring a cheaper backup for Stephen Curry in Dunn and another reliable scoring option in Lavine. Lavine may be playing the same position as Klay Thompson, but with his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, he could easily find a way to make himself fit in Golden State’s system. Meanwhile, the future first-round pick would enable the Warriors to add another young and promising talent or they could use it as a trade chip to further improve their roster next summer.