NBA Trade Talk: Is Taking on D'Angelo Russell Worth Doing at the Deadline?

Should the Oklahoma City Thunder consider being the third team in a potential trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks?

The NBA trade deadline is just over two weeks away and deals are very much being discussed. The league has already seen a few significant trades in the early part of the season, but many more are coming between now and the deadline.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks have been discussing what a trade for Dejounte Murray would look like. Charania mentioned the beginning talks were centered around D'Angelo Russell and draft capital, but the primary holdup was that the Hawks wanted to find a third team for Russell. The veteran guard has a player option for next season and Atlanta prefers expiring money in return for Murray along with future picks. 

With that in mind, it appears there's a real pathway to a deal here if another team around the league is willing to flip expiring contracts and take on Russell. Would this be worth it for the Oklahoma City Thunder?

While Davis Bertans isn't technically expiring, he is only guaranteed $5.25 million in the 2024-25 campaign but is close to Russell's salary this season. The Thunder would want to be compensated to help facilitate this deal as well, which is something else to consider. 

As much chemistry as this team has built, it would be completely reasonable if Thunder GM Sam Presti had no interest in bringing Russell in. With that in mind, if OKC is incentivized enough with future draft capital, he could be someone the team could buy out shortly after. On the flip side, he is a good player who could help in the postseason or be insurance for any guards who face an injury the rest of the season. 

Russell is averaging nearly 17 points and better than six assists per game while shooting over 40% from beyond the arc this season. His production is impressive, but there are questions about his fit on this young Thunder team. He could be a nice piece off the bench, but that takes minutes away from others who have been so instrumental in this team going 31-13 thus far.

In short, the Thunder taking on D'Angelo Russell as a third party in a Dejounte Murray deal would likely only be worth it if OKC is incentivized heavily. 

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