Projecting the 20 most promising young duos in the NBA

14. D’Angelo Russell and Kevon Looney (Golden State Warriors)

One is an All-Star taking on a new job that comes with a pay raise and fewer responsibilities, while the other is a role player returning to work with a pay raise and a higher profile than he had before.

Neither will be asked to lead the Golden State Warriors into the franchise’s next chapter, but both will play key roles in the process.

D’Angelo Russell was sent to the Warriors this summer as part of the sign-and-trade deal for Kevin Durant after KD decided he wanted to go to the Brooklyn Nets.

Russell became an All-Star in Brooklyn, averaging 21.1 points, 7.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season while leading the Nets back to the playoffs. The 23-year-old point guard won’t have to carry as much of a load with the Warriors, sharing the backcourt with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and with Draymond Green also established as one of Golden State’s top playmakers.

Looney is one of the Warriors’ homegrown success stories. The last pick in the first round of the 2015 draft went through the G League back-and-forth before turning himself into a valuable contributor on the 2018 championship team.

Last season, the 23-year-old big man averaged 7.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game during Golden State’s playoff run. He sustained broken ribs in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, and despite initially being ruled out for the rest of the series, came back in Game 4 and battled impressively the rest of the way.

Looney re-signed with the Warriors this summer for three years, and in the aftermath of Durant’s departure, he should play a bigger role in the frontcourt rotation.