Admittedly, there are likely other teams out there that can put together better one-on-one trade packages to acquire Golden State Warriors guard D'Angelo Russell than the New York Knicks. However, with interest peaking, the Dubs might very well consider sending the former Brooklyn Nets All-Star back to New York.
What's working for the Knicks is a fairly stacked list of future draft picks. Besides owning all of their future first-round picks, New York also possesses two first-round picks from the Dallas Mavericks—possibly the remaining silver lining of the Kristaps Porzingis trade.
With the players they have and the picks they own, the Knicks could offer a more competitive package that could well land them a potential franchise player. This also gives them an advantage over the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are also interested in D'Lo.
However, what are the best yet most reasonable assets the Knicks can offer the Warriors in the vacuum setting to acquire Russell? One or two of those Dallas picks would have to be involved along with two or more players.
Breaking it down even further, the Warriors would need two younger players from the Knicks and a more seasoned vet just to balance the salary.
The first framework to expound would be a deal that looks like this:
- Knicks receive: G D'Angelo Russell
- Warriors receive: F/C Bobby Portis, F Kevin Knox, G Allonzo Trier, G/F Damyean Dotson, 2021 first-round pick (Dallas), 2023 first-round pick (Dallas – top-ten protected)
The Knicks need to compensate their lack of enthusiastic young talent. It's obviously very early for the 20-year-old Knox, who hasn't been much through one-and-one-half seasons, but New York would need to part ways with him to entice the Warriors to make the trade happen.
Including draft picks is just the name of the game today, and it is unlikely the Dubs will accept any trade for a talent like D'Lo without a first-rounder.
On the other hand, Damyean Dotson is a rotation player for New York and a restricted free agent this summer while Allonzo Trier has been banished from the Knicks' rotation and is a restricted free agent in 2020 as well, so they could be thrown in the trade, too.
This would be a win for both sides. While Russell is a top talent, the real reason Golden State brought him to the Bay Area was the leverage the one-time All-Star brings: and that could be pitting Minnesota and New York against each other in a bidding war.
There aren't too many teams interested in the Ohio State product, and while the Timberwolves could, in theory, offer the best player in a two-team deal in veteran wing Robert Covington, it looks like they will sell high on RoCo to the highest bidder in a separate deal (maybe Houston?).
At the end of the day, the Warriors could still go with Minnesota's offer, but the Knicks have a competitive trade in place by sending three young players (Knox under contract for the foreseeable future and the other two capable players) and two future first-round picks.
Perhaps Golden State will bargain for a different vet on the Knicks' roster: would they want Russell's ex-teammate on the Los Angeles Lakers, another southpaw, Julius Randle? That appears to be in the realm of possibility should the Warriors trade D'Lo by this Thursday.
It is also worth noting that the Dubs are reportedly interested in acquiring Mitchell Robinson from New York.
Otherwise, the Warriors could just wait until after the trade deadline and see how D'Angelo Russell and Stephen Curry mesh on the hardwood in an extended look and decide to trade D'Lo in the summer when more lucrative deals exist.
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