From the minute the Warriors agreed to acquire D’Angelo Russell, there was speculation that the team would employ him for a year and trade him elsewhere. General Manager Bob Myers denies that there is any such plan in place.
“I know it’s been written and speculated. That’s fine,” Myers said (via Nick Friedell of ESPN.com). “That’s what everybody’s job is to do. We didn’t sign him with the intention of just trading him.“
The Russell-Steph Curry backcourt doesn’t appear to be a perfect match. Once Klay Thompson returns to the team, the fit becomes more awkward.
“We haven’t even seen him play in our uniform yet, and a lot of people have us already trading him,” Myers continued. “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.
Golden State will look much different than they have over the past few seasons. Kevin Durant is across the country. Andre Iguodala is in limbo and Shaun Livingston is no longer around to spell Curry. After years of enjoying the luxuries of an unprecedented, star-studded lineup, the Warriors will experience uncertainties at key spots in their rotation or as the rest of the league calls it: traditional team building.
The franchise’s competition is gearing up to take advantage of the new landscape. The Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, and Jazz all have new stars and will look to surpass the five-time Western Conference champions. Myers believes the Warriors can still compete in the conference.
“Can we compete? Yeah, I think that’s shown — at least at its core, whenever Klay comes back with Draymond and Steph — that’s a group that’s shown and proved that they can win. As far as the other pieces, we have to see,” Myers said.
