The Golden State Warriors may have missed out on Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this offseason, but their aim to acquire another All-Star level player should remain a priority over the coming months.
Stephen Curry reaffirmed his ability to be one of the best players in the world at the recent Olympics, going for 17 threes and 60 points across the final two games to lead Team USA to another Gold Medal.
3 recent trade proposals may add significant talent to the Golden State Warriors, but neither present as overly appealing for the franchise
After missing out on Markkanen following his renegotiation and extension with the Utah Jazz, and with Curry showcasing his brilliance once again in Paris, attention has turned to who else may be available for the Warriors in their attempts to find greater support for their 2x MVP.
In a recent article, Stephen Noh of the Sporting News proposed three different trades to try and land Golden State more offensive talent. But just because a player may fill that void on paper, doesn't mean it will specifically work for the Warriors in reality. There's a reason they were so keen on George and Markkanen, yet have little interest in Brandon Ingram or Zach LaVine.
None of these three proposed trades are categorically great deals for Golden State, in fact you could argue their bad to the point of potential disaster. Let's rank them though, starting with the best one from a Warrior perspective:
1. Warriors pair Stephen Curry with former MVP
Golden State Warriors
Los Angeles ClippersIf adding James Harden is the best of three proposed trades, it probably doesn't say much about the potential of the other two. While the former MVP isn't trade eligible yet after only just re-signing with the L.A. Clippers, this isn't the first time he's been flaoted as a name to monitor for Golden State.
If it's just about adding more offensive talent and in particular another shot-creator, then Harden makes some sense even at this diminished version. His production did drop last season but saw a spike in six playoff games where the 34-year-old averaged 21.2 points and 8.0 assists on 38.3% three-point shooting.
Flipping Wiggins (and Payton) for Harden would be a major step backwards defensively, yet perhaps that's just what you sacrifice to ensure Curry doesn't have to carry too much of a burden on the other side of the ball. The Warriors would also be moving the remaining three years of Wiggins' contract for two years of Harden, the second of which is a player option.
Giving up a first-round pick isn't ideal, but at least it conveys next season and not further down the track. Golden State may consider that a Curry-Harden combination can be dynamic enough offensively to make them a playoff team -- is that in itself worth it even if they don't figure to be a genuine contender?
2. Warriors find their stretch big and new starting center
Golden State Warriors
Chicago BullsAll-Star level Nikola Vucevic would make perfect sense for this Warrior roster that currently lacks spacing in the front court. Unfortunately the 33-year-old is no longer that player, albiet he still put up 18 points per game with the Chicago Bulls last season.
The question with Vucevic is whether the offensive skillset is worth the defensive concerns, particularly when he's still slated to make $41.5 million over the next two seasons. The further time goes on, the less valuable he's appearing as a genuine starting center on a team with deep playoff aspirations.
The defensive issues are always going to be there, and perhaps they'd even be mitigated somewhat next to Draymond Green at Golden State. But that's not worth it if Vucevic is going to shoot less than 32% from beyond the arc like he has in two of the last three years, including just 29.4% from deep last season.
Wiggins may not hold much value league-wide right now, but there's no way the Warriors should deal the 2022 All-Star for Vucevic in any trade. Period. Carter and Craig would bring some defensive elements, yet they're fringe role players rather than the key rotation pieces Wiggins and Jackson-Davis are.
How about an alternative proposition -- Kevon Looney, Gary Payton II and Moses Moody for Vucevic and Craig? Even then it's not an overly exciting trade that's likely to be a real difference-maker for the Warriors, with the franchise needing to aim higher than someone like Vucevic who's at best a third or fourth scoring option.
3. Warriors trade for All-Star wing
Golden State Warriors
New Orleans PelicansBrandon Ingram may be the best player involved in these three trades, yet he's also the one that brings the most potential for disaster. Some players just don't appear to be the Golden State-type, and the 26-year-old certainly falls into that category.
We've already seen this experience when Ingram was part of the USA's 2023 World Cup team under Warrior head coach Steve Kerr. The 2020 All-Star had a poor tournament, averaged less than six points per game, and even vented his frustration during an interview with Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
It's nothing against Ingram individually, it's just the reality of contrasting styles that even saw perennial All-NBA talent Jayson Tatum out of Kerr's rotation for large portions of the Paris Olympics.
That's not to say Ingram wouldn't be totally ineffective nor helpful, but it's not worth the price from both a trade and contractual perspective. Wiggins, Payton, Moody and two first-round picks is a significant package to deal, and with that investment would come the necessity for Golden State to ensure Ingram hangs around long-term with a new contract likely in excess of $200 million.
The upside is that Ingram works better than expected, but even then how far is a combination of he and Curry taking you? Second-round of the playoffs perhaps? The downside is you give up significant assets for a one-year rental, or are left paying maximum money to an injury-prone forward who doesn't particularly fit your system -- both potentially disastrous scenarios.
Fortunately it appears the Warriors understand this, with The Athletic reporting last week that the franchise has no interest in an Ingram trade.
