NBA Rumors: Golden State Warriors Target Russell D'Angelo trade; Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson Eye Kobe Bryant Protege

Mar 08, 2016 12:34 PM EST

The Golden State Warriors are considered the best team in the NBA today. With the back to back wins delivered courtesy of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and the rest of the championship squad, not even the likes of LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers or Kawhi Leonard's San Antonio Spurs could unseat them at the top of the league. Moreover, the Golden State Warriors are pegged as the team with the potential to beat the Chicago Bulls' 72-win record under the Michael Jordan era.

With the fanfare surrounding the reigning NBA champions, it comes as no surprise that the Golden State Warriors are looking for more talented stars to add in the Harrison Barnes squad. One of the most widely reported basketball star who caught the Andrew Bogut team's attention is Kevin Durant. While that will be exciting if it pushes through, another name came up that is sure to kick up the thrill next season: Los Angeles Lakers star D'Angelo Russell.

The rumors started when Curry praised the Los Angeles Lakers rookie after the embarassing 112-95 lost they had in the hands of the Kobe Bryant team. When asked about his assessment of Russell following the game, the Golden State Warriors star shared that the 20-year-old will be a "great" addition to the NBA as the latter gets older.

"He has total skill set," said Curry of Russell, according to a social media post of Green Bay Area reporter Diamong Leung. He added, "[He] will be great for this league going forward."

Earlier this NBA season, Russell has also been pushed to the spotlight after Byron Scott decided to bench him instead of including him in the starting lineup. However, some critics appear to be seeing the fruits of the Los Angeles Lakers head coach's move. In the latest game against the Golden State Warriors, both Russell and Jordan Clarkson actually surpassed Curry and Thompson in scoring - with the Los Angeles Lakers stars racking up 46 points from the back court.

"We definitely want to be one of the best backcourts in the league one day," said Clarkson via Lakers Nation. He added, "Just want to play a style where nobody really can stay in front of us. We get up and play fast paced, knock down threes and get our teammates involved, just a fun style to play."

With these comments from Clarkson, sports analysts cannot help but compared their plans to the Golden State Warriors Splash Brothers. However, Russell refused to be under the shadow of Curry and Thompson. Instead, the 20-year-old pointed out that he and Clarkson intend to make their own pace and style - one that will set them apart from the Golden State Warriors duo.

"They've [Curry and Thompson] found a way to have the success that they've had with their team. I feel like you have to create your own style of play with your personnel. Those guys are really, really good shooters. Me and JC (Jordan Clarson), I don't feel like we put that stamp on our game. They [Curry and Thompson] do a lot more, but shootings their thing, and I feel like we try to do a little bit of everything," commented Russell.

With Russell's improving game, the NBA is finally witnessing the greatness that once had him known as the next Kobe Bryant. What do you think? Will the Golden State Warriors be right to snag Russell from the Los Angeles Lakers?