The Golden State Warriors general manager and president of basketball operations, Bob Meyers, is entering the final month of his contract and is yet to have signed an extension. Myers is known league-wide to be one of the better–if not the best–GMs around, as his track record speaks for itself. He’s assembled rosters that have won four championships in the last eight years. While there is high optimism that Meyers will sign an extension, there is no doubt that teams league wide with troubled front offices will make inquiries. Myers is in a position any GM would love to be in: working for the franchise that you grew up rooting for, having friendships with his staff that go beyond the offices, and most importantly, having an owner that is willing to spend whatever it takes to win. So, with Myers' name going to be making its rounds in the media over the coming weeks, I thought we should revisit one of his best deals he’s made as the Dubs GM, the D’Angelo Russell–Andrew Wiggins trade.
The Kevin Durant sign and trade
Let's take a few steps back first to recall how D’Angelo Russell even ended up on the Warriors. It was back in 2019, the season the Warriors were on their quest to “three-peat”, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neals Los Angeles Lakers did in 2000, 2001, and 2002. This was also the final year of Warriors superstar Kevin Durant’s contract, and with the rumors of his departure following the season, it caused for a turbulent year both on and off the court. Golden State found their way back in the finals for a fifth consecutive year in a row–which is a major testament to Meyers– where they faced the Toronto Raptors. Durant missed the first four games of the series due to a lingering achilles injury, and when he returned in game 5, he fully tore it, ruling him out indefinitely. That was the last time we ever saw him in a Warriors uniform.
Kevin Durant goes down in game 5 of the 2019 NBA finals after tearing his achilles.
Following that game, Myers was asked to speak to the media, where he showed the most emotion he has ever revealed during a press conference. He held back tears, as he blamed himself for KD’s injury. While this was unfair to put on himself, he was deflecting what he and everyone in the basketball world could sense; Durant's departure from Golden State. One thing that was well known was that Myers had a very good relationship with Durant off the court. KD was an unrestricted free agent, giving him the ability to sign wherever he was wanted. He ended up leaving for Brooklyn, however he seemingly did the Warriors one last favor; he opted for a sign and trade, giving the Dubs a return from Brooklyn rather than leaving for essentially nothing. Myers had to quickly recover from losing in the finals, to working out this deal with Sean Marks, the Nets GM. The deal: Kevin Durant and a 2020 protected first-round pick for Shabazz Napier, Treveon Graham and of course, D’Angelo Russell.
Russells time in Golden State
Trading for Russell made sense for the Warriors, as Klay Thompson had just suffered a season ending injury in their finals run that would ultimately force him to miss all of the 2019-20 season. This put the Warriors in the market for a new starting shooting guard to play alongside Stephen Curry. Russell is a much different player than Thompson, a more ball dominant guard who thrives from creating his own offense, especially through pick and roll (P&R) situations. It was no secret that Russell’s play style was not the perfect fit alongside Curry. As a result of this, the media immediately ran with the narrative of whether or not Meyers had acquired Russell as a future trade asset, or if he viewed him as their new 2-guard in their long term plans. "We're excited to add a player of D'Angelo's ability to our roster," Myers said in a statement. "He's coming off an All-Star season with the Nets and we feel, at the age of 23, his best basketball is certainly ahead of him in regards to his career trajectory."
D’Angelo Russell poses in conversation with head coach Steve Kerr.
Russell went on to play 33 games for the dubs in the 2019-20 season, and to be frank, that was all they needed to see to realize a Russell-Curry backcourt would not amount to much success. In those 33 games, Russell averaged just over 30 minutes per game with splits of: 23.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 6.2 APG. These were good numbers, and with the level that he was playing at, Meyers and co. knew that his trade value would be high. However, it wasn't so much his offense that was his issue. The bigger problem was on the opposite end of the floor. Russell has always been a defensive liability throughout his career. His small frame is one thing, but more often than not, it is the lack of effort that is so troubling. Pair this with Currys size, and you have a defensive backcourt that is prone to bleed points.
Andrew Wiggins time with the Timberwolves
Up north, Andrew Wiggins was quite the polarizing figure. Being the number one overall pick out of Kansas in the 2014 NBA Draft, Wiggins had every expectation of him being the next all time great placed on his shoulders. We all know the story of him being drafted by Cleveland and immediately traded to Minnesota, but how did he fare in his time up north? He spent his first six NBA campaigns with the Timberwolves, and I think a fair word to use to describe his time is underwhelming. It was the expectation that altered everyone's perspective on him. The fans and the organization wanted him to come to their franchise and immediately be “the guy.” The guy that would be an all-star every season and lead their team to the playoffs.
A young Wiggins in Minnesota.
Wiggins was a good player in Minnesota, but not the player they wanted, or more importantly, the player they needed him to be. He was rather consistent on the offensive end, averaging just shy of 20 PPG, but it was on the defensive end where he was noticeably inconsistent. He had all the physical attributes to become an elite defender in Minnesota, he may have just lacked the motivation to do so. While the Wolves did make a playoff appearance in 2018 with Wiggins, that was their only appearance, which quickly ended in a first round exit against James Harden and the Houston Rockets. As Wiggins' time in Minnesota continued, it was clear he was not showing the growth as a player that the franchise wanted to see. This along with the rest of the team's struggles forced the Wolves to put Wiggins on the trade block. Enter: Bob Meyers and the Warriors front office.
Russell poses with Minnesota brass at his introductory press conference.
The trade
Looking at both teams' rosters, the trade made sense. The Wolves were in need of a point guard who could run their offense, while the Warriors (and every team in the NBA for that matter) could use an athletic wing. By the trade deadline, after intense negotiations, both teams compromised on a lightly protected first rounder, and a Warriors salary dump to duck the luxury tax, which ultimately saved them a lot of money. Russell was a Timberwolf and Wiggins was a Warrior. When this trade was made, despite initially trying to pry two 1st round picks from Minnesota, internally Golden State felt like they won the deal having snagged a top 3 protected pick in the 2021 draft (which ended up being Jonathan Kuminga). However, outside of the franchise there was lots of skepticism to whether or not dealing Dlo was the right move. He was the Warriors leading scorer at the time behind Curry, and was playing at a similar level that he was at during his all-star campaign the year prior. While Wiggins was seen as his same old self, getting his averages but not amounting to winning basketball. What has transpired since the trade was made in 2020 may be the most interesting part of this entire story. The two players have had quite different journeys since beginning their time with their respective teams, each interesting in its own. Let's start with Russell.
D’Angelo Russell
In terms of his team's success, they failed to make the playoffs his first two years there. Last season however, they were able to not only make it to the play-in, but were able to advance to the first round where they faced the Phoenix Suns and were then eliminated. One interesting thing to note about Russells usage in last year's playoffs is that he was benched by his head coach towards the end of their first round games, as his defensive liabilities were too much of a risk to keep him on the floor in crunch time. His scoring also dropped dramatically, as he only averaged 12 PPG throughout the series. This is a big deal because Russell is seen as one of the team's core players and is being paid like one as well.
Russell in mid conversation with head coach Chris Finch.
Aside from the team's success, Russell has been putting up relatively similar numbers to what he has done throughout his career. In his now 4th season with the Wolves, he is averaging 17.1 PPG (lowest since joining the team), and 6.4 APG while shooting a mild 35.2% from 3pt and 45.8% from the field. He is running their offense, but Russell has made little improvement on the defensive end, hindering his overall effectiveness on the court. With the mega-trade that the Timberwolves made this offseason in acquiring center Rudy Gobert, the Wolves have a “win now” mindset. Gobert being a three time defensive player of the year, anchoring their back line and protecting the rim will definitely help mask Dlo’s defensive issues. However it would not surprise me if he eventually found his way back on the trade market for another team to take a swing with him.
Andrew Wiggins
Now Andrew Wiggins on the other hand has had a complete career resurrection since joining Golden State. Not only has he flipped the narrative of who he is as a basketball player through his play, but he has the stats and accolades to back it up. His first year with GSW was an interesting one, as the Warriors were trying to make a late push to get to the play-in tournament. He only played in 12 games that year for the Dubs, and while still getting his numbers offensively, his overall impact was pretty minimal. He looked like the same player he was in Minnesota, to nobody's surprise. As a result of this, they didn’t get very far as they fell short of the play-in that season. The following season, he seemed to find his fit within Steve Kerr's system. His individual numbers took a slight dip in most categories, however one that took a rather large leap were his shooting percentages. In the 19-20 season, Wiggins shot 45.7% from the field and 33.8% from 3pt. The following year, both those splits went up to 47.8% and 38%. Despite this, the Warriors had another unsuccessful year in their eyes, as they made it into the play-in tournament but failed to get out of it, with losses to the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers. It was last season, the 2021-22 season, where Wiggins flipped a switch. While averaging only 17.2 PPG (lowest since joining the team) it was on the defensive end where he became elite. On a nightly basis Wiggins was matched up with the opposing team's best offensive player. Maybe the most impressive aspect of this was the consistency in which he was playing with. Night in and night out you could count on Wiggins to get a stop. This effort, along with his offensive success and overall play, earned him his first ever all-star appearance of his career, as a starter, alongside teammate Stephen Curry.
Wiggins is seen in stride alongside LeBron James in the 2021-22 NBA All-Star Game.
Wiggins playoff success
As the Warriors finished their 2021-22 season with the 3rd seed, they faced a daunting path to the finals. They would have to go through the back-to-back reigning MVP, Nikola Jokic and his Denver Nuggets in the first round. Lucky for the dubs, they were extremely depleted, missing two of their top players. As a result of this, they advanced in a gentleman's sweep where they would then face their recent rivals, the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizz presented a much tougher challenge for both Wiggins and the Warriors, as their squad was led by young phenom, Ja Morant. While Morrant only played two full games in the series due to an injury, you could tell he was more limited than normal when Wiggins was switched onto him on the defensive end. One of Morants greatest advantages he has over the rest of his competition is his athleticism, but what made Wiggins so effective guarding him was his ability to match his athleticism and quickness. With Morant out for the second half of the series, the Warriors were again able to advance to the Western Conference Finals after six games.
Wiggins' next task was arguably his most challenging, yet the result may have been the most impressive. He was matched up against Luka Dončić, one of the NBA’s most lethal offensive players. Throughout the series, Wiggins visibly bothered Luka, pressing him full court as he brought the ball up, or bumping him off his spot in the post. Luka was still able to average good numbers in that series, after all, Luka is Luka. But it was the way in which he was physically limited by Wiggins' aggressive defense on him which was so impressive.
Then, on the biggest stage of them all where the lights are the brightest and the pressure is most intense, Wiggins hit his peak as an all-around basketball player. Matched up against Jayson Tatum, he shut him down the entire series. Tatum recorded lows in almost all stat categories, at times even feeling non-existent on the court. On top of this lock down defense, Wiggins was an offensive outlet. When the Dubs offense fell stagnant, he was an offensive escape valve, where his teammates could get him the ball and make sure he were to get a bucket. More than anything though, maybe Wiggins biggest leap he took was his rebounding. After only averaging 4.5 rebounds for his entire career, throughout this playoff run he averaged more than 7 RPG. All of these contributions led Wiggins to his first ever NBA Championship, one which he had a critical role in winning.
Looking back
It is safe to say that Andrew Wiggins was the Warriors 2nd best player throughout the playoffs, behind the brilliance of Stephen Curry. Many would think that would be unlikely with teammates like Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. His contributions to winning this championship were proven to be invaluable, and as a result of this, he was given a four-year 109 million dollar extension to stay with the team. Wiggins went from being seen as an overrated, overpaid, and underwhelming “bust” to one of the league's best two-way players, now viewed as one of the best value contracts. With this season's trade deadline being a month away, D’Angelo Russell's name has already been linked to teams like the Miami Heat. Wiggins was having a great start to this season, raising his shooting percentages even further, however he just came back from a lengthy month-long absence due to a groin injury. While he is still trying to shake the rust off, the Warriors are trying to make a push up in the Western Conference standings as they look to defend their championship. With it being safe to say that Bob Meyers and the Warriors won the D’Angelo Russell-Andrew Wiggins trade, the streaking Dubs may be in need of another move at this deadline. The question now is, can Meyers strike gold again?
Image via: NBC Sports