The Golden State Warriors have had an electric start to the season, sitting atop the Western Conference with a 12-4 record. Despite losing Klay Thompson in the summer, the Warriors made smart free-agent moves to add multiple players as replacements to play one of the deepest rotations in the NBA with 12 players. Those plans were hurt after summer addition De’Anthony Melton was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury.
The Warriors have been openly searching the trade market for additions to their roster, passing up trades for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen in the summer. The franchise is considered one of the most likely to make a move this season, and they could kickstart that by making a smart deal to address Melton’s absence instead of forcing a move for a superstar-level player.
Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Marcus Smart
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Gary Payton II, De’Anthony Melton, 2026 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2029 Second-Round Pick (GSW)
This deal would see the Warriors send out a lot of premium second-round draft compensation along with multi-positional 3-and-D threat Gary Payton II. Melton would essentially see the season out with injury on the Grizzlies before re-entering free agency next year after joining the Warriors on a one-year contract this summer. This trade can’t be executed before December 15.
The Warriors Fine-Tune Their Defense With A Major Addition
The Golden State Warriors don’t have an immediate need to make any trade given the high level the roster has been playing at. But their rotational production isn’t consistent, as individual players can go through major swings, such as Buddy Hield. He started the season with seven 20-point outings in his first eight appearances but hasn’t scored more than 18 points in his nine appearances since.
Marcus Smart won’t provide a high offensive baseline, but he’ll guarantee excellent defensive output for however many minutes he spends on the court. He’s averaging 7.4 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists this season, but Smart’s value can never be captured in the box score. He’d be the Warriors’ most reliable POA guard defender, allowing Draymond Green to be a free-roam help defender instead of taking on the No. 1 perimeter option every offensive possession.
The Warriors’ offense bakes in great shots for Smart, who won’t always make them consistently but enjoy good shot quality. Alternating him with Buddy Hield gives Steve Kerr the option to pick a defense-oriented lineup with Smart or an offense-oriented one with Hield. This would also begin streamlining the Warriors rotation, with the team still unclear on who the team’s full-time two-guard will be after Melton’s injury.
The Grizzlies Start Pivoting To A New Rotational Core Around Big 3
The Memphis Grizzlies are trying to stay competitive in the West despite franchise-wide injury issues for the last 18 months. They’re 10-7 this season despite Ja Morant suffering a shoulder injury which has kept him out over their last eight games. The team has a solid cast of rotational players at their disposal with a healthy Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., but the team still looks average on the court.
Dealing Smart for multiple valuable second-round picks and a player like Gary Payton II could be impactful for the Grizzlies. Payton is averaging 4.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists and has proven to be a more consistent shooter than Smart. He’s received limited minutes this season but is a very active perimeter defender with the ability to guard three positions.
Instead of the Grizzlies carrying Smart’s $20.6 million into next season, they can open up room for changes this summer by acquiring expiring contracts such as Payton and Melton, meaning over $22 million will come off the books for the franchise this season. In what’s looking to be another tough season, the Grizzlies are better off accepting the financial flexibility and draft assets instead of relying on Smart’s production to be the difference between a No. 7 or No. 9 seed.
A Deal To Finalize Contention
This deal would cement the Warriors as one of the contenders in the NBA, as Smart brings qualities that the team needs to make a Playoff push. His defensive output and motor can rarely be questioned, which would essentially make him a far more useful version of Brandin Podziemski this season. He would also be a great veteran for Podziemski to learn from, as Smart’s defensive intensity is unmatched among guards in the NBA.
Smart and Draymond on the floor together could hurt the Warriors’ offense, but they’ve been getting their buckets off high-quality shots which the team’s passing creates for everyone. If both former Defensive Player of the Year winners can remain confident in taking open jumpers, the drop-off offensively shouldn’t be as stark as many would expect.
The Grizzlies get a load of flexibility to build a better core around their young big three of Jackson, Bane, and Morant in this deal, one they should take instead of treading water in the West with Smart.
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