The Golden State Warriors are out of the NBA playoffs. After Stephen Curry put forward an MVP season and carried the team to the playoffs without Klay Thompson, they fell to the Lakers and Grizzlies in two hotly contested play-in games. Looking ahead to next season, the franchise have a ton to look forward to.
Klay Thompson will hopefully return to full health, Draymond Green is still the leader of the team, and Curry still has a few more years left in the tank as the best point guard in the league. But the Warriors have a massive opportunity to acquire yet another superstar player to create the best team in the NBA. By trading for one of these three superstars, the Warriors can return to the top of the NBA for the first time since Kevin Durant left in free agency. Here are the three superstar players the Warriors can trade for.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Trade Package: James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, 2021 Minnesota pick (if outside 1-3 range), 2021 first-round pick (could be lottery pick), a future first-round pick, a future second-round pick for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak swore his allegiance to the Milwaukee Bucks before signing a supermax contract, but that doesn’t mean he can’t be convinced to leave. The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the best teams in the NBA for the past few years and they did a great job in acquiring former All-Star Jrue Holiday and even PJ Tucker for the 2021 season. The franchise wants to build around Giannis whatever it takes.
But a few playoff failures by the team has left the future of The Greek Freak in speculation. After all, what happens if Milwaukee don’t make it to the Finals this year? Even worse, what if the Bucks don’t even make it to the Eastern Conference Finals? In either case, Giannis could be looking elsewhere. He is 26 years old and has time to win, but looking around the NBA it is clear the norm is teaming up in superteams. Giannis might not want to blow away a chance at winning multiple NBA titles.
If Giannis requests a trade, the Bucks will want the best available offer. Superstars hold all the power in the league, so cashing in on the 2-time league MVP for a package of Wiseman, Wiggins, and solid role players makes sense. Even the assortment of picks could come in handy for the Bucks to rebuild immediately. The Warriors get their Durant replacement although Giannis dominates the paint instead, and the Bucks kickstart the best possible rebuild with this trade package.
Joel Embiid
Trade Package: James Wiseman, Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall, 2021 Minnesota pick (if outside 1-3 range), 2021 first-round pick (could be lottery pick), a future first-round pick, a future second-round pick for Joel Embiid
Joel Embiid is one of the top-3 MVP favorites this season. He averaged 28.5 PPG and 10.6 RPG for the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Other than Nikola Jokic or Anthony Davis, no big man comes close to what Embiid brings to the court on both ends every night. Because of Embiid, and the Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Ben Simmons, Philadelphia have a ton of expectations in making the NBA Finals. At the very least, the 76ers should reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
But if that doesn’t happen, the rumors of moving either Embiid or Simmons might finally come true. Philadelphia cannot keep trying the same experiment with the same results, because eventually, it will lead to never-ending madness. Rather, Philadelphia might cash in on their most valuable asset in Joel Embiid. Simmons is younger but he has weaknesses mainly in his perimeter shooting. Embiid on the other hand is probably a top-10 player in the league right now.
Embiid with the Warriors creates a scary superteam. They can push the pace with Steph and Klay or dump it to Embiid down low. Embiid also shot 37.7% from three this season, meaning he can fit seamlessly into the Warriors’ offense. Philadelphia can find their long-term Embiid replacement in James Wiseman, and the assortment of first-round picks endures the “New Process” doesn’t take that long.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Trade Package: Kelly Oubre Jr. (sign and trade), James Wiseman, Eric Paschall, Alen Smailagic, 2021 Minnesota Timberwolves pick (if outside 1-3 range), two future first-round picks, a second-round pick for Karl-Anthony Towns
By far the most attainable superstar for the Golden State Warriors is Karl-Anthony Towns. The big man played for the third-worst team in the Western Conference this season, despite averaging 24.8 PPG and 10.6 RPG. Towns is only 25 years old so he is a franchise player who will be dominant for at least another 8 years. Seeing a talent like Towns playing on a poor team is really a shame because he looks to be a generational talent.
Towns should not and will not accept playing for a lottery team anymore since he is too talented and in his prime right now. Playing with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green takes his impact to an entirely different level. Towns isn’t any ordinary big man, because he can run the floor and play like the modern NBA center. Towns shot 38.7% from three this year and has the size to be a dominant post player as well.
Minnesota can cash in on Towns and focus their rebuild on Anthony Edwards, along with another impactful young player in James Wiseman. A trio of D’Angelo Russell alongside Edwards and Wiseman is the best possible rebuild core, and the picks ensure the team does not suffer a long rebuild. Because with the way things are now, the Timberwolves aren’t winning with Towns anyways. This trade package is a win-win because the Warriors get their superteam while the Timberwolves acquire the No. 1 and No. 2 picks from the 2020 Draft to start their rebuild.
