NBA: 5 teams that will likely be active players in the trade market this season

Golden State Warriors 

Let’s just get the obvious out of the way first. Last week I was sort of writing a “strangest offseason moves” column in my head, but by the time I sat down to write it, it just felt stale. The pace of these last two weeks has genuinely felt like months to me.

Heading that list, of course, was D’Angelo Russell. I mean, what? A ball-dominant guard who doesn’t attack the rim (thus doesn’t get to the line very often) for a team that has arguably the most dominant backcourt duo in league history? Sure, Klay’s hurt, but…. Really?

This was probably the first contract that was explicitly connected to that December 15th date in reports of his signing, because as much as Bob Myers denies it, no one is buying this as a viable long-term fit on a team that is both overextended financially and already top-heavy even with Durant and Cousins leaving.

He’s been linked heavily to the “now-aggressive” Timberwolves (are we dropping the Timberpups and Timberbulls nicknames? I personally think we need a new one, ASAP. TimberTeenWolves? Y/N?), though if he can build off the breakout season he had last year, the price for him may be too high for Minnesota to match, and other teams on the cusp of competing will likely coming sniffing.