Six Moves the Warriors Could Make at the Trade Deadline That We Don't Hate
The Warriors clearly need change. If they make a trade at this week's deadline, these are some moves we would endorse.
Disclaimer: We are not NBA salary cap experts. We are not liable for anything inaccurate said about the league’s rules. Refer to Dubs Hub Handbook section 30.11.23 for further information.
Trades are tough to complete in the NBA. There are complex league rules and multiple stakeholders to take into consideration: players, general managers, owners, coaches, agents, fans. Teams also tend to overvalue their own players—particularly young players drafted by the organization—and undervalue players on competing teams.
On the other hand, the Warriors clearly need to shake things up and this deadline presents an opportunity to do so. They are below .500, in the 11th spot in the West, and they still have a top 5 player in the NBA. The chance to compete for a title with one of the best players of all time is exceedingly rare. It is not hyperbole to say it is being squandered right now.
Therefore, trades need to be entertained. So, we did the hard work and spent countless hours (a little while) in the lab (fanspo.com) calculating meticulously through infinite trade scenarios (clicking buttons in the trade machine) and produced six options that we believe could set the Warriors up well for the rest of this season and beyond. If you love or hate any of these trades, you know where to find us.
Trade 1: The Dubs land a star, but lose a promising prospect
Pros: The front office gets Steph Curry a real co-star. Lauri Markkanen has developed into one of the most versatile offensive weapons in the league. He would add size and versatility to a team that needs it desperately. A Draymond/Lauri front court would be awesome to watch the next couple of seasons.
Cons: This would require giving up on Kuminga while he is showing serious growth and emptying the future pick chest.
Trade 2: Reinforcements inbound, fan favorites outbound
Pros: With this trade, the Warriors would add size and shooting in the front court with Cam Johnson, a streaky scorer off the bench in Lonnie Walker, and *theoretically* a playmaker with size in Ben Simmons.
Cons: Ben Simmons and his gigantic contract. Plus, the team loses two young dogs that the fanbase loves in Podz and Moody.
Trade 3: A sharp-shooting vet wing flanks the splash bros, but the Dubs say goodbye to Maple Jordan
Pros: There is offensive upside with Bogdanovic, who is a knockdown shooter, and can play-make at a high level.
Cons: Trading Wiggins at his lowest value for a 35 year old vet. Losing two-way wing potential for an offense-first wing. And who knows, to pull this trade off it might require more picks.
Trade 4: Dubs land a star ball-handler and quality bigman, lose their best trade piece
Pros: With this trade, the Warriors acquire a dynamic guard with decent size who can do a little of everything on both sides of the game, and theoretically can play both with and without Steph. Capela provides a defensive, rim-running big man presence next to Draymond.
Cons: Giving up on Kuminga’s upside and taking on a lot of future money. Plus, this trade might require more draft picks than what we show here.
Trade 5: Taking a gamble with a fringe star and two big contracts
Pros: The Warriors add two very solid veteran rotation players who fill a need immediately. Brogdon is an upgrade to Chris Paul and Grant, while a different style of player, is an upgrade to Wiggins.
Cons: Five years of $30 million per year paid to Jerami Grant. The incoming money for next season while the new CBA kicks in probably dissuades the front office from making this kind of trade.
Trade 6: Swapping role players, is it enough?
Pros: Warriors get a reliable big man in WCJ and a defense-first backup point guard with size in Fultz. They also off-load the large CP3 contract.
Cons: Both Carter and Fultz are injury-prone. Plus giving up a future first-round pick is always hard to swallow. And at the end of the day, does this move the needle?
Not sure I like any of these choices, especially after tonight. And yet putting on my cynical cap, I’m afraid tonight’s game may be an outlier. Everyone stepped up tonight, but where have they been for most of this season?