It has been an offseason to remember for most NBA fans, with many of the league's top players changing teams and building new superstar duos. Warriors fans, however, might be the only outliers in that regard.
In the span of eight days, Golden State lost the two players who had brought home the Finals MVP trophy during the team's three championship runs. Kevin Durant went east in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets, and subsequently, Andre Iguodala was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies along with a first-round pick as part of a quest to get under the NBA's "hard cap."
Tim Bontemps of ESPN spoke with executives from across the NBA about how they saw the offseason play out. While many in league circles reported that Durant intended to leave after the season, no one predicted that he would end up being involved in a deal that would net the Warriors an All-Star point guard in D'Angelo Russell.
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"That did not seem like a Warriors-type move," a Western Conference scout told Bontemps.
Another executive in the West saw it as understandable given the circumstances.
"There's always two ways to look at those things," he said to ESPN. "They didn't want to give [Durant] up for nothing, but then, while they got [Russell], they gave up that first-round pick and Iguodala. I think they had to look at all those things. That surprised the heck out of me, but I thought it was an appropriate move."
[RELATED: Why D'Angelo Russell's skill set excites Warriors coach Steve Kerr]
Golden State Warriors
With the Warriors not anticipating Klay Thompson's return until at least midseason, Russell will be a focal point of the offense as he will likely start alongside Steph Curry in the backcourt. With many of the team's top bench players from the past few seasons now jettisoned from the organization, there are quite a few points to be had among this new group of Warriors.
Once Russell becomes eligible to be traded on Dec. 15, however, it will be fascinating to see how general manager Bob Myers and the front office will approach the 23-year-old's status, especially if the Warriors are in contention for a playoff spot in the wide-open Western Conference.