Minneapolis-St. Paul – Minnesota Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations Gersson Rosas announced the team has acquired guard D’Angelo Russell, guard/forward Jacob Evans and forward Omari Spellman from the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota’s 2021 protected first-round pick and the Timberwolves’ 2021 second-round pick.
Russell, 23, has appeared in 305 regular season games (257 starts) in five NBA seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Golden State, averaging 17.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists. The 6-4 guard played in 33 games with the Golden State Warriors this season, averaging a career-high 23.6 points per game, 3.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists. He is shooting a career-best 37.4% from three-point percentage range and has recorded 20+ points in 21 of his 32 games played this season, including a career high 52 on November 8, 2019.
The Ohio State product earned his first trip to the NBA All-Star Game a season ago after averaging 21.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists in 81 games, all starts, with Brooklyn. Russell ranked 10th in the NBA in assists and set a Nets single-season record with 234 three-pointers made while leading the team in scoring on 44 occasions. He totaled 14 double-doubles, 20+points on 48 occasions, 30+ points 14 times and 40+ points in three games. Originally drafted by the Lakers with the second overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Louisville, Kentucky native spent two seasons with the Lakers before being traded to the Nets. The Warriors acquired Russell via trade with Nets on June 22, 2019.
Evans, 22, appeared in 27 games for Golden State this season, averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.3 minutes per game. The 6-4 guard/forward was drafted in the first round (28th overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft by Golden State.
Spellman, 22, appeared in 49 games for the Warriors this season, averaging 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game. He was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round (30th overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft and acquired by Golden State on July 8, 2019. In his rookie season with Atlanta, the 6-8 forward averaged 5.9 points and 4.2 rebounds in 46 games.
Originally acquired by the Timberwolves on August 23, 2014 from Cleveland, Wiggins appeared in 442 games (all starts) with Minnesota, averaging 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists.