Warriors profile: D'Angelo Russell brings more star power, new element

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Editor's note: The Warriors' roster looks completely different than it did at this time last year. Golden State enters a new era at Chase Center with an injured Klay Thompson and without dynasty mainstays Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. As the Warriors' offseason goes on, we'll do a profile on every player on the revamped roster. Tuesday's edition focuses on D'Angelo Russell.

Contract

Four-year / $117,325,500

Last season

Russell averaged 21.1 points and seven assists in 81 games last season with the Brooklyn Nets. In his best season as a pro, Russell made his first NBA All-Star team, finishing second in voting for the league's Most Improved Player.

In his second season in Brooklyn, he led the Nets to their first postseason appearance since 2014, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in six games.

His performance also earned him the right to negotiate a max deal with the Nets, but with the team pursuing a Kevin Durant-Kyrie Irving partnership, Russell's days in Brooklyn seemed to be numbered.

Hours after Durant elected to join Irving in Brooklyn Jun. 30, the Nets and Warriors engineered a sign-and-trade to send Russell to Golden State. 

Outlook

Russell joins the Warriors as they find themselves at a crossroads. Three weeks before the sign-and-trade, Klay Thompson tore his ACL, prompting a rehabilitation that could extend to next March. With most of Thompson's season shelved and Durant now gone to the East, the Warriors are left to figure out how to make up the 47 points per game the two combined to provide. 

Following Russell's arrival, reports circulated that Russell will eventually be traded this season. However, when asked about the speculation, Warriors general manager Bob Myers denied those reports. 

"I know it's been written and speculated and that's fine -- that's what everybody's job is to do," Myers said. "We didn't sign him with the intention of just trading him.

"We haven't even seen him play in our uniform yet and a lot of people already have us trading him. That's not how we're viewing it."

[RELATED: Kerr says Warriors will 'desperately' need D'Angelo Russell]

Russell's addition promises to change Golden State's offensive identity. Known as a pick-and-roll initiator, Russell's style will clash with the Warriors pass-heavy offense. The adjustment will be aided by the addition of big man Willie Cauley-Stein, who is expected to be paired on-court with Russell. 

In any event, with the addition of Russell, the Warriors will enter next season with the same amount of all-stars (3) as last season. 

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