After weeks of rumors and speculation, . As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Warriors are sending Russell to Minnesota in exchange for Wiggins, as well as a Top-3 protected 2021 first-round pick and an unprotected second-rounder in 2021.
On the one hand, Minnesota now has a formidable one-two punch for the future with Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns. The 23-year old point guard is currently averaging a career-high 23.6 points to go along with 6.2 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game, and he’ll pair up nicely alongside his longtime friend who has been .
On the other hand, Wiggins goes from a bottom five team to the worst team in the league. That said, we all know Golden State is a completely different beast once the Splash Brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, are back in the lineup. We’ll likely have to wait until next year to see how that plays out on the court, but fans are already envisioning a nightmare scenario for the 24-year old forward.
As always, #NBATwitter was quick to weigh in with their opinions of the blockbuster trade – and there were plenty of jokes to be made about how Wiggins will mesh with the Warriors starters once they’re fully healthy. However, Wiggins has received some support from his former teammate, Zach LaVine, who believes that Golden State is the perfect fit.
Check out some of the reactions to Wiggins joining the Warriors, as well as the trade as a whole, below.