SAN FRANCISCO -- Last week, the Warriors traded nearly half of their roster in the team's quest back to the NBA Finals. Among the six departures, the exchange of D'Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins gained much notoriety.
Before Monday's matchup against Miami Heat, Golden State forward Draymond Green said that while the transition is tough, he believes the moves benefit his team in the future.
"I think he really fits well," Green said of Wiggins. "As seamless as it could possibly be, I think he can fit right in. He can score the basketball, he can run the wings, he's a pretty good defender. So I think he'll definitely fit in with this core for a long time."
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The addition of Wiggins -- who was traded Thursday -- marked the end of Russell's brief tenure in Golden State. In 33 games, Russell averaged 23.6 points, including a 52-point performance in a November loss to the T-Wolves. Nonetheless, Golden State's front office deemed Russell a bad fit alongside injured guards Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, prompting last week's trade.
On Monday, Green complimented Russell's play, while expressing disappointment in not seeing the partnership with Curry and Thompson.
"I think D'Angelo played great," Green said. "I think when you look long term and you see his style of play, you kind of question if it will fit with Steph and Klay. But the sh--ty part is we never got a chance to see."
Russell's arrival to the Midwest paired him alongside friend Karl-Anthony Towns following a season-long pursuit by the Wolves. The move is seen by NBA observers as a potential long-term partnership for the duo.
Golden State Warriors
"I'm happy for D’Angelo," Green continued. "He gets to go to a city that seems as if they're really going to embrace him and that's important. He gets to go to a franchise, they're bringing him in to be their franchise point guard. For a guy that was an All-Star a year ago, signing a new deal, I think that's great and important for him moving forward in his career."
As for Wiggins, the 24-year-old comes to the Bay Area in need of a career makeover. Despite averaging nearly 20 points during his first four years in the NBA, he has been criticized for his defense and effort. But Green believes Golden State's culture will bring the best out of the small forward.
"I'm not going to sit here and act like the guy's just had a sh--ty career," he said. "He's averaged 20 points per game over the last few years. I think bringing him in the fold and making that equate to wins. That's what we're trying to do."
While Russell's departure was the highlight of Golden State's trade activity, the team also parted with forward Glenn Robinson III and guard Alec Burks, trading the tandem to the Philadelphia 76ers last week. The team got the news of the trade before last week's loss to Brooklyn, prompting its worst loss of the season.
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"It kind of sucked the life out of us," Green said. "Those are two guys that really fit our culture well and have really been playing great all year. ... That's the part of the business that really sucks. It's the human side of things. You build a relationship with guys and one day it's like boom, they're gone."
Regarding the Wiggins-Russell swap, Green believes the moves will benefit both teams.
"I think this is the perfect situation for [Wiggins]," he said. "I think it's great for both guys and great for both organizations."