The Golden State Warriors are reigning NBA champions, but they have not looked like it all season long, considering the team is 7th in the Western Conference and just three games over .500 in terms of the team record. Luckily, the Warriors still have their best players playing well since Stephen Curry is posting 29.4 PPG on 42.5% 3-PT FG, and Klay Thompson has not lost his All-Star skills due to severe injuries and is averaging 21.7 PPG on 40.7% shooting from deep. The duo is going strong, but the rest of the team isn’t quite doing so well. Jordan Poole signed a max extension but is only shooting 42.8% from the field and 33.3% from deep, and Draymond Green’s punch might have something to do with that.
Speaking of Draymond, his time with the Warriors could be up as reports are coming out that he could be leaving soon and on his way to a potential rival team. Andrew Wiggins, one of the key players during the Warriors’ 2022 championship run, is one of the major reasons why the Golden State Warriors have struggled all year, and that is down to his inability to stay healthy with only 37 appearances. With so much going on against Golden State this season, many truly believe that the team cannot compete with the elite this season and that they will be a first-round exit at best.
Luckily, there is still time for the Warriors to get back on top this summer at the soonest. Assuming Golden State does crash out in the postseason and doesn’t win a title for the third straight year since 2020, it could be a very fascinating summer for them. Remember, the Warriors have an excellent cap space situation entering into the summer as they have space for adding a legitimate superstar. Just as we did by looking at the three best scenarios for the Los Angeles Lakers this summer, we will consider those for the Golden State Warriors side that needs a revamped roster.
The Warriors might have a chance to get right back on top in the Western Conference in as little as a few months. With so much flexibility in the summer, the Warriors find themselves in three excellent scenarios to acquire one of the three top available stars in the league. It won’t be easy for Golden State to choose which option is best, although their decision might come down to what presents itself earliest. Here are the three best scenarios for the Golden State Warriors this summer.
Scenario No. 3 – Adding Size Without Sacrificing Shooting
If the Warriors swoop in and offer the 2023 first-round pick with Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, and Gary Payton II, Minnesota might take a look and might pull the trigger on the deal to send franchise star Karl-Anthony Towns to California. Young prospect Kuminga can take some of the defensive responsibility and can be molded into a full-time starter under a good coach. Draymond and Payton II can also play pivotal roles, but no doubt, it is obvious who wins this deal.
Karl-Anthony Towns with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins would be overkill. The big man is averaging 23.1 PPG and 11.2 RPG over his career and is one of the best shooting bigs of all-time (39.4% 3-PT FG). Towns can do it all on both ends of the floor, especially when surrounded by arguably the two greatest shooters of all time. Even if teams throw everything at Golden State to stop the threes, it could be difficult to handle another sharpshooter who stands 6’11” tall.
The Warriors will have to change their philosophy if they do acquire Towns, although the big man will be able to adapt because of his shooting. With a dominant big man, the team must let him go to work with his touches. Curry is unselfish enough to feed him the ball and will be willing to do so, especially since Wiggins and Poole are capable of playing off other stars, as proved last year. Curry and Towns become one of the best little-big duos in NBA history on the offensive side of the floor because neither player cannot be stopped in single coverage in Golden State’s system.
With Klay spotting up as the third option and Wiggins defending the perimeter, the Warriors would be extremely dominant. With another All-Star in Towns on the floor, Golden State becomes the favorites to win it all, with Curry, Klay, Wiggins, Towns, and Kevon Looney occupying the starting five, with Poole coming off the bench. Meanwhile, Minnesota goes all-in with Anthony Edwards as their best player and proceeds with the future accordingly.
Scenario No. 2 – A New Superstar Wing Player In Town
The second scenario the Golden State Warriors might find themselves in is a chance to acquire superstar forward Jimmy Butler. That’s right, Golden State might have a chance to create a Big Three to challenge the rest of the competition and possibly usurp them through Finals experience and a winning mentality.
Jimmy Butler is one of the best two-way players in the game, even if he seems to go in the motions with regard to the regular season before blossoming in the playoffs. The Heat were unable to make the NBA Finals last year as Butler’s game-winning three rimmed out in Game 7. But knowing Butler, he will be working hard this offseason and is hungrier than ever for a championship.
That also means he wants to win now. Butler is almost 34 years old, and father time is not too kind to players who play as hard as the 6-time All-Star does on defense. A chance to win a title as soon as next year could be too sweet to ignore, and Miami might realize that. Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga would be a nice return for the wing player as Miami regroups with a new young core alongside Tyler Herro.
Jimmy Butler is not quite Kevin Durant in terms of offensive or impact, but he is a better defender and a player who can create a new “Death Lineup” alongside Curry, Klay, Wiggins, and Green (if he stays) or Looney. Butler already has a Finals appearance to his name and came close again last year, so a scenario where the Warriors acquire an elite defender and tough competitor makes perfect sense.
Scenario No. 1 – Breaking The Bank For Anthony Davis
The Golden State Warriors might need to make a drastic change and one that gives them a bonafide superstar with a different skill set to what they have right now. One name that sticks out is Anthony Davis, who can be acquired for a package of Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, 2023 First Round Pick, 2026 First Round Pick, and 2027 First Round Pick.
Adding Anthony Davis makes the Warriors as good on paper as the Bucks, Suns, or Celtics, if not better. Davis is an incredibly talented offensive player who brings size on defense, replacing the likely Lakers-bound Draymond Green on both ends of the court.
Jonathan Kuminga, one of the most promising players on the team, is a valuable asset. Losing him will hurt, but acquiring Anthony Davis to complete a lineup with Curry, Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins would be intriguing to watch. Golden State cannot rest on its laurels, and Anthony Davis could create another superteam for the first time since Kevin Durant played his last season in Oakland.
The Lakers might accept this deal because they must win now and acquire players who are able and willing to play consistently. The Purple and Gold add two defensive-minded players who can give Jarred Vanderbilt some help and a close friend of LeBron James in Draymond Green. Lakers fans rejoice with this deal, and Golden State adds the best big man they have ever had in the “Stephen Curry” era.
The starting lineup becomes Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Davis, and Kevon Looney. Golden State goes bigger but keeps its versatility, as Davis can defend multiple positions and also space the floor. A capable passer and off-ball player, Davis makes the Warriors the best team in the NBA by a wide margin, and all it might take is three picks, two role players, and a starter.
What Would Be The Best Scenario For The Warriors This Summer?
The best possible scenario for the Warriors would be acquiring superstar big man Anthony Davis. Davis was an All-Star snub this season, as he is averaging 25.9 PPG, 12.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, and 2.0 BPG for the Los Angeles Lakers. Davis can compete on both ends and provide the Warriors with size, one of the key ingredients they are missing at the moment. Losing three key players and three first-round picks will hurt down the line, but the team needs to add another championship while Stephen Curry is still paying at a high level.
The next-best scenario would be for the Warriors to add Jimmy Butler. With Butler in the lineup, Golden State has a ton of floor-spacing and shot-making which they sorely need but also improve upon their putrid 19th-ranked defensive rating. Not to mention, the frontcourt with Wiggins, Butler, and Looney looks solid as they can also space the floor, defend in a versatile way, and also provide experience and length. The Warriors are better with two scoring guards and a wing defender because they can hit threes and carry an offense.
Finally, in case the two main trades are not available for whatever reason, Golden State can run it back with the same crew except swap out Draymond Green, Jonathan Kuminga, Gary Payton II, and a 2023 first-rounder for KAT. Towns is not as dominant as Anthony Davis is on both ends of the court, but he is a better shooter and could be the perfect backup option in case Davis is not available. Adding a sharpshooting center makes sense, and it would still make the Warriors the team to beat next season.
Overall, Golden State wins with any of these scenarios, and they could be looking to make major changes in the roster heading into the summer. The probability of acquiring the three aforementioned stars is likely in their order, meaning Davis is the most unlikely while Towns could be the most likely acquisition. Unless Golden State can pick up steam before the postseason and actually make the Western Conference Finals at least, there will be changes coming to them next year.
