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When the Golden State Warriors traded D'Angelo Russell in 2019-20, there were talks about his fit with the team alongside Stephen Curry as the reason for the decision. However, according to head coach Steve Kerr, there is more to the trade than what was reported.
Ahead of the Warriors' showdown with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday, Kerr once again opened up about the trade that landed them Andrew Wiggins. As Dane Moore of BMTN shared, the Dubs coach highlighted that it was “definitely a trade for need for us” because they “desperately needed size on the wing.”
Furthermore, Kerr pointed out that they already have Curry, which decreases the need for them to keep Russell beyond the season. To recall, Steph sustained a hand injury early in 2019-20, which kept him out for the majority of the season. He returned late but played just one more game for a total of five appearances on the campaign.
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Steve Kerr described the Andrew Wiggins for D'Angelo Russell trade pregame as "definitely a trade for need for us" — in that they "desperately needed size on the wing". Kerr also said that they had Steph Curry already, decreasing the need for Russell beyond that one year.
— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) January 16, 2022
For what it's worth, the trade for Andrew Wiggins has worked wonders for the Warriors. The former no. 1 pick is averaging 18.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, becoming the perfect secondary scorer behind Stephen Curry while Klay Thompson was out.
Curry, for his part, has been on another MVP campaign for the Dubs. While he has been struggling recently, there is no doubt he has been huge for the Warriors' rise to the top this 2021-22. Imagine how things would have gone had they retained D'Angelo Russell.
Overall, the Warriors are certainly in a better place with the moves they made two years ago.
