Is it too early to start thinking about trades in the NBA?
Maybe.
But we are going to do it anyway.
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Besides, you might already be wondering what the Warriors would be able to get in return if they decide to trade D'Angelo Russell.
Well, as ESPN's Brian Windhorst wrote Tuesday morning:
If the Warriors decide to investigate the market, some league executives believe it's not unreasonable to think the Warriors could get another first-round pick plus a quality role player for Russell, especially if they're able to construct a deal where they take back salary.
It probably will be hard for the Warriors to take back salary because of the hard-cap situation, but they do have a little wiggle room at their disposal.
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Russell can't be traded until Dec. 15, and it's possible the Warriors won't even consider parting ways with him until they find out in mid-May where their first-round pick lands in the lottery (yes, we are assuming Golden State ultimately will keep the top-20 protected first-rounder it sent to Brooklyn in the Russell-Kevin Durant sign-and-trade).
That way, they could package Russell with that pick in any potential deal.
This is pure speculation at this point, and so much can change between now and then. And don't rule out the possibility of the franchise wanting to keep Russell into next season so they can see how he fits alongside Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
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For now, the Warriors just want to see Russell return to the court after he missed the past two games because of a sore ankle.
After all -- the better he performs, the higher his trade value becomes.