A Warriors’ trade season primer: Analyzing D’Angelo Russell’s fit and solving the Ky Bowman problem

This season hasn’t gone as planned, and the Warriors have already had to shift expectations. After Sunday, further recalibration could be on the way.

While coach Steve Kerr anticipated the team to take a step back, he did not expect to be sitting at the bottom of the league standings more than a quarter of the way into the season. A stumbling start and the desire to convert Ky Bowman’s two-way contract into a regular roster spot could lead to the Warriors making a trade between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

Bowman could be the primary motivating factor for making a deal. The 22-year-old guard has used up 32 of his 45-day limit under his two-way contract allotment. Once those days expire, he will have to spend the rest of his season with the Warriors’ G League affiliate in Santa Cruz. The front office is exploring ways to keep him, and the most likely avenue could be a trade that frees up cap space under the hard cap.

On Dec. 15, players who signed in the offseason become trade eligible. That applies to five players on Golden State’s roster. Here are some of the names who could be on the trading block.

D’Angelo Russell

Since he signed a max contract with the Warriors this offseason, D’Angelo Russell has heard the pitter-pat of trade rumors from those skeptical about his long-term fit.

Russell has calmly dealt with the disruption. The 23-year-old signed believing he’d be part of a contender and learning from Steph Curry on a daily basis. Instead, he is playing a leading role for a lottery-bound team, albeit one he hopes to continue to be a part of.

“I’m sure people look at it and see he signed a big contract and think that’s all that matters,” Kerr said. “Money doesn’t buy peace of mind, it doesn’t buy a sense of belonging, a sense of This is my team.’ If there’s speculation that you’re going to be traded all the time, I don’t care how much money you make, I don’t care who you are, that’s tough. That’s no fun to deal with.

“This is the NBA, and we never know what’s coming, or what’s happening. It’s a difficult position to be in, in general. But for him in particular, it’s a strange set of circumstances and he’s handling it really well.”

It’s unlikely Russell is traded before the summer, if at all. The Warriors want to see more of him next to a healthy Curry and Klay Thompson, and the current hard cap adds a complicated layer to constructing a worthwhile trade.

Early returns on the fit between Curry and Russell were not encouraging. Russell struggled to play off the ball and within the natural pace of the offense. Often, the ball would whip around in classic Warriors fashion, find Russell, and then the offense would slow down and turn into jelly. In the 74 minutes they shared the floor, the Warriors were outscored by 49 points.

Kerr responded by heavily staggering their minutes. When Curry went down with a broken hand, he reshaped the offense around Russell’s pick-and-roll expertise. Then Russell missed nine games with a thumb injury and returned to a reconstituted motion offense.

He’s seemed more comfortable in recent games, sharing ball-handling duties with Draymond Green. Some of the jelly persists, but he’s learned little tricks to add off-ball activity. In five games since returning from injury, Russell has gone from 3.9 catch-and-shoot attempts per game to 5.2.

Kerr sees Russell as a combo guard, and he’ll have to play like one to coexist in a backcourt with Curry and Thompson.

Alec Burks

When asked if he’s accustomed to the business side of basketball, Alec Burks said: “I was in Utah for eight years. Until last year, I never got traded. So I really understood last year.” Within the next couple of months, he could get traded for the third time in little more than a year.

Burks remains the most practical solution to the Bowman problem. Trading him to a playoff team could not only net an asset (like a second-round pick), but also create space under the hard cap for the Warriors to convert Bowman’s two-way contract into a standard one.

Because Burks is signed to the veteran minimum, another team can go over the cap to absorb his salary and would not have to send matching salary back to the Warriors, who currently have only about $375,000 in space.

Among the most experienced healthy Warriors, Burks is playing a key scoring role this season. In 24 games, he’s averaged 15.6 points on 43.2% shooting. The rash of injuries has allowed him to showcase his scoring abilities — something that could bolster a bench for a playoff team.

While Burks has enjoyed his time in Golden State, his minimum contract expires this summer. His padded stats could result in a more lucrative pay day. The Warriors may be better off trading him before February’s trade deadline.

“I like it here. Great culture, great coaching staff, I would love to (stay here) but, you never know in this league,” Burks said. “You never know.”

Willie Cauley-Stein

Despite starting 23 games at center this season, Willie Cauley-Stein’s status may be the most precarious among the team’s big men. Kevon Looney, fresh off signing a three-year, $15 million deal, has an institutional advantage. Marquese Chriss — who emerged from a training-camp invite to one of Golden State’s most reliable rotation players — continues to make a case for more playing time.

Earning $2.2 million this season, with a $2.3 million player option for next season, Cauley-Stein’s contract could be a good value for a team seeking to add size for a playoff run.

Trading Cauley-Stein wouldn’t necessarily create enough space to sign Bowman. Because Cauley-Stein isn’t signed using the veteran minimum, the Warriors would have to take a salary back in a deal. If the Warriors can receive a draft asset with a young player, however, it could be reason enough to make a trade.

Marquese Chriss and Glenn Robinson III

Chriss and Glenn Robinson III are included on this list because they are on minimum contracts and, technically, the Warriors could trade one of them to create room for Bowman.

However, both Chriss and Robinson seem like good fits within the idealized version of the Warriors. Chriss, with his passing ability and athleticism, is the kind of big man Kerr likes to position in the middle of his offense. Robinson, a plus wing defender who runs the floor well in transition, could be a valuable rotation player next season.

In a season geared toward developing talent and finding players who can be part of the Warriors’ future, Chriss and Robinson have made as good a case as any.