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At this time last year, the Warriors were hovering around .500, their season going nowhere. Sound familiar?
Last December, Golden State panic-traded for Dennis Schroder, which flamed out spectacularly. The team only got back on the rails after pulling off the Jimmy Butler home-run trade before the deadline.
If the Warriors want to be relevant in the spring, they’ll have to make a trade to upgrade their roster.
Here are my favorite possible trade targets. Before getting to them, keep these details in mind:
• Golden State’s most valuable assets are its future first-round picks, particularly those in the post-Steph Curry era. The Warriors can trade up to four picks plus swap rights.
• Jonathan Kuminga’s two-year deal with a team option next year is eminently tradeable.
• The Warriors’ highest priority should be a wing who can play both ends of the court. Another center would be nice, too, given that Al Horford has been a zero.
• The next month will at least partly determine how many future assets the Warriors will be comfortable cashing in between Jan. 15 — when Kuminga becomes trade-eligible — and the Feb. 5 deadline.
Trey Murphy and Herb Jones, both Pelicans, are expected to be among the most sought-after players ahead of the deadline. Although different players, they each would fill Warriors needs. Either would be able to close games in lineups with Draymond Green at center, add positional size and bring athleticism to an aging group. Is management prepared to overwhelm New Orleans with an offer of several first-round picks?
Corey Kispert, an under-the-radar option, can nail 3s and hold up defensively at 6-foot-6. Movement shooters like him are perfect for Golden State’s split-action offense, and the league-worst Wizards should be in the market to trade their veterans for future draft capital.
Like Kispert, Sam Hauser has a track record of shooting and is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. Boston has been a pleasant surprise in a weak East, but still may look to duck under the luxury tax for future flexibility.
The souped-up version of Hauser and Kispert is Brooklyn’s Michael Porter Jr. His efficiency has remained steady despite a significantly higher volume with the cellar-dwelling Nets. His trade value is at an all-time high, and his expensive deal becomes expiring next season.
The Bulls have Twitter’s favorite trade targets in Coby White, Ayo Dosumnu, Nikola Vucevic, and Kevin Huerter. All fine players. But if they were so valuable, why do the Bulls stink every year?
A contingent of centers — Nic Claxton, Daniel Gafford, and Robert Williams III — could each easily plug into Golden State’s rotation. But are they worth sacrificing assets if they probably wouldn’t close games? The Warriors might be better off hoping for a Horford resuscitation. I’d throw Indiana’s Jay Huff into that mix, too; he’s dirt-cheap, an elite shot-blocker, and hit 40% of his 3s last year on volume.
If the Warriors really wanted to go all-in on a center, only two would be worthwhile: Ivica Zubac and Jaren Jackson Jr. They’d cost the entire farm.
Zubac is the type of bruising, all-around big whose All-Star caliber game covers up his lack of outside shooting. The Clippers’ season is lost, and their pick belongs to Oklahoma City. Might they want to stock their rebuild cupboard with Kuminga, two post-Curry first rounders, and a swap?
Jackson, meanwhile, is in the midst of a turbulent season in Memphis. The foul-prone former Defensive Player of the Year is hacking more than ever. But the profile of a playmaking, 6-foot-10 shooter and rim protector is too appealing to scoff at. If the 26-year-old (and his max extension) isn’t in the Grizzlies’ future plans, maybe the Warriors could swoop in.
Curry and Butler are playing at All-Star levels. It’s time to get them some help.