Chris Nicoll-USA TODAY Sports
By all accounts, D’Angelo Russell appears to be surviving the trade deadline, the Warriors’ biggest healthy asset being shielded from the prying hands of Minnesota, at least until the offseason.
The situation for a few other Golden State veterans seems far more precarious.
The Warriors were set to hold out guard Alec Burks and small forward Glenn Robinson III from a game in Brooklyn on Wednesday, with the reported belief being both were being dangled in potential trades a night ahead of the deadline. The Chronicle went as far as to say the two were on the verge of being traded.
They would be the second and third veterans to escape this bridge season, Willie Cauley-Stein being moved to Dallas two weeks ago. The big man has an option for next season, which made dealing him more complicated. For Burks and Robinson, both on affordable, one-year pacts, the Warriors can trade in decent pieces who would be lost after the season anyway.
Burks would be a valuable scorer off the bench for a contender, the 28-year-old having a career year in which he’s averaging 16.1 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from the field, 38 percent from deep and nearly 90 percent from the line.
The market for Robinson, who’s averaging more than 10 minutes more than his previous career high, is not expected to be as active, but he’s having a solid year, averaging 12.9 points on 48 percent shooting from the floor.
After their game against the Nets, the Warriors travel back to host the Lakers on Saturday. It will be interesting to see if Burks and Robinson are on the flight.