In the end, the Warriors fleeced the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Andrew Wiggins-D'Angelo Russell trade, getting Wiggins along with the T-Wolves' top-three protected first-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
But while that turned out to be a haul for a player in Russell who didn't fit with Steph Curry, Golden State reportedly wanted even more.
Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer reported Monday that the "negotiations often grew contentious" between the Warriors and T-Wolves and that Golden State initially wanted two first-round picks in the trade.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Bay Area and California sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Fisher also notes the Warriors and New York Knicks had trade talks involving Russell, but the Timberwolves believed that was only in an effort to drive up the price.
Despite the Timberwolves desperately wanting to acquire Russell to pair him with Karl-Anthony Towns, they held firm and only surrendered one first-round pick in the deal.
With Minnesota finishing with the sixth-worst record this past season, that pick has a 72.5 percent chance of conveying to the Warriors during Tuesday night's NBA Draft Lottery. If the pick lands in the top-three then Minnesota will keep its selection and the Warriors will own the Timberwolves' 2022 first-round pick with no protections.
RELATED: Report: Warriors have had zero Wiseman trade discussions
Golden State Warriors
Find the latest Golden State Warriors news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Bay Area and California.
In his first full season with the Warriors, Wiggins had a career resurgence in Golden State and showed he could be a long-term fit alongside Curry.
However, as good as Wiggins was this past season, he remains a potential trade piece this offseason -- along with 2020 No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman -- as the Warriors look to retool and give Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green a supporting cast that can contend for an NBA championship.
While negotiations might have gotten heated between the Warriors and Timberwolves, Golden State eventually got the better of the deal and could, if the ping-pong balls bounce their way, secure a top-five pick in a loaded draft.
The Warriors might not have got everything they wanted in the deal, but they got more than enough.