The Golden State Warriors were supposed to be heading into the 2023 season following a season filled with joy, success, and, ultimately, another NBA championship in their ranks. The Warriors got the job done thanks to their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, although the youngsters, including Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins, had invaluable roles. It was certainly an impressive title run by the team last year, especially since they took down a talented Boston Celtics side led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the NBA Finals.
- Golden State Lands Two System Players
- A Shocking Move For Bam Adebayo
- The Warriors Add A Versatile All-Star Big Man
- A Superteam Reunion With Kevin Durant
- An Unlikely But Scary Scenario
- Next
- The Blockbuster 3-Team Trade Idea: Los Angeles Lakers Finally Get Myles Turner, Buddy Hield, And Eric Gordon
- 10 NBA Players You Forgot Played For The Golden State Warriors
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- 20 Trades That Changed NBA History Forever
But instead of challenging this season, the Warriors are not doing too well as they sit 10th in the Western Conference with a 6-8 record. The team has been poor on both ends of the floor, and the Draymond Green incident seems to have played a massive role in team chemistry. Stephen Curry is doing his thing by averaging 32.8 PPG, but Jordan Poole has seemingly not been able to take a step up as he is forcing the issue and averaging only 15.6 PPG on 41.2% shooting from the field. Overall, the Warriors have been subpar, to say the very least.
Obviously, Golden State wants to contend for the title, and they should be looking for ways to improve the roster at all costs. Those costs might include polarizing forward Draymond Green, youngster Jordan Poole, and even big man James Wiseman. Wiseman has yet to impress anyone by averaging only 7.3 PPG and 4.0 RPG, and recent news has come out that the youngster is going down to the G-League. That could mean the youngster is available in trade talks, and here are the best options for the Golden State Warriors to catapult every other team in the West and certainly win it all.
Golden State Lands Two System Players
Trade Package: Draymond Green, James Wiseman for Myles Turner, Buddy Hield
Myles Turner has been in trade talks ever since his former teammate Domantas Sabonis made the All-Star team. For some reason, the Indiana Pacers do not trust Turner, mainly because the big man has not looked close to being an All-Star with the Pacers. That doesn’t mean that Turner isn’t a solid player with plenty of potential because he has the skill set to be a dominant big man one day. Of course, Buddy Hield is a Golden State Warriors player by nature because he can space the floor, defend the perimeter, and play off the ball.
Myles Turner can shoot, score inside, and defend the paint at a high level for his position. Turner is younger than Draymond Green, can shoot better, and has more size. If the Warriors do not want to keep Green’s salary on the books for too long and go for youth and potential, Turner is a very valuable addition to them. Sacrificing James Wiseman won’t hurt too much, but Turner can be molded into a star with the right system as a shot-blocking center who spaces the floor. Hield also adds a fourth “Splash Brother” alongside Steph, Klay, and Poole.
The Pacers would accept this trade in a heartbeat since they will be able to tank and go after valuable picks. Green will have zero impact on the Pacers as the team looks to miss the playoffs, and James Wiseman can be given time to develop on the team alongside youngster Tyrese Haliburton. Golden State wins this deal without a doubt because they can attack the title with a re-tooled roster that features two starting-caliber players.
By acquiring Turner and Hield, the entire starting lineup changes. Hield slots into the small forward spot beside Curry and Klay and will be a Splash Brother Lite. Hield is shooting 40.8% from three so far this season, so getting looks from beyond will be key. Kuminga takes a step up in responsibility as he is expected to play close to 30 MPG as a power forward, and Turner takes Looney’s place as a shot-blocking and floor-spacing big man. The Warriors add shooting and size while keeping Jordan Poole as the team’s elite 6th man.
A Shocking Move For Bam Adebayo
Trade Package: Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick for Bam Adebayo
Bam Adebayo is a beast at the center position. Head coach Erik Spoelstra has mentioned how Bam is one of the best players in the league over the past few years, and he was absolutely right. Bam can do it all at a very high level, better than almost every center in the league. Adebayo is a defensive monster and is very capable on offense despite being undersized. He can hit the mid-range shot, score inside, and is very active on the boards.
Overall, Adebayo is the main reason the Miami Heat came close to the NBA Finals last year, aside from Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, and Spoelstra. Bam would create a monster Big Three with the Warriors and could certainly guarantee a Western Conference Finals berth. But he is very valuable in Miami’s organization because he does everything so well, including passing the ball. Miami wants to win now, and as such, they will demand a hefty trade package to let him go. That is where the Warriors come knocking with a big trade offer.
Golden State could be willing to offload Poole, Wiseman, and Kuminga, along with two first-round picks. The Warriors need to re-tool their team, and losing three rotation players for an All-Star does fit their bill because Curry, Thompson, Wiggins, and Adebayo would be difficult to compete with. Bam is a perfect player for Golden State because he is a better version of Draymond Green and can do multiple things on the court very well without having much of a polarizing personality.
Golden State’s starting lineup will look scary, with Bam Adebayo slotting in alongside Draymond Green in the frontcourt. Curry, Klay, Wiggins, and Green all remain in the lineup, with a direct swap coming with Bam starting at center. The Warriors arguably lose their best offensive option outside of Steph in this deal, but they keep a dynamic starting lineup in place. Green and Bam will be tough to score against, and the perimeter trio continues their All-Star style of play from the perimeter. No doubt, Golden State’s lineup is complete in this trade.
The Warriors Add A Versatile All-Star Big Man
Trade Package: Draymond Green, Jordan Poole, James Wiseman for Anthony Davis
The Golden State Warriors probably need to make changes right now because they hold a poor record in the Western Conference at 6-8. But the NBA Finals does not start now, and the Warriors have a ton to prove if they want to compete with the Suns, Bucks, Clippers, and Celtics later in the playoffs. Klay Thompson will probably never return to All-Star status, but the duo with Stephen Curry will form the base for a championship side. Adding Anthony Davis makes the Warriors as good on paper as the Bucks and Celtics.
Davis is an incredibly talented offensive player who brings size on defense, replacing James Wiseman and Draymond Green on both ends of the court. Wiseman has yet to impress this season, and Green is getting older. Jordan Poole, one of the contenders for Most Improved Player last year, is also a valuable asset. Losing Poole 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 easily accept this deal because they must win now since they are completely out of the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes. The Purple and Gold add a scoring guard in Poole to finally provide scoring firepower, a young big man in Wiseman who can develop, 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, Jonathan Kuminga, Anthony Davis, and Kevon Looney. Obviously, the Warriors are going bigger with this deal and will focus more on sharing the ball and feeding Davis on the block. Anthony will also be able to return to his favored power forward position alongside a natural center in Looney, who will battle down low and do the dirty work on the boards. With a new system in place that favors an inside game more than before, Golden State can revolutionize its attack.
A Superteam Reunion With Kevin Durant
Trade Package: Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick for Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant’s move to Golden State was heavily scrutinized a few years ago, but the player ended up winning 2 NBA titles and 2 Finals MVPs, regardless. The superstar offensive player is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, and he could be wasting his time with the Brooklyn Nets this year, considering Kyrie Irving is providing unlimited drama, and it isn’t ending. Durant is getting older, and at age 34, time is not of the essence. His best bet? Re-joining the Golden State Warriors.
Durant, with Curry and Thompson, would bring back the iconic “Splash Brothers” trio that ran riot across the league. The superstar small forward is one of the best offensive players ever, and the Warriors would be able to out-score any team they come up against. It will take Golden State gutting the team to make this deal, but they would still be able to retain what’s left of Draymond Green to keep a solid starting lineup in place. With Durant, Golden State wins it all.
Meanwhile, Brooklyn finally rebuilds and accepts that the Durant and Irving experiment failed. Poole, Wiseman, and Wiggins are long-term pieces, while the 3 first-round picks fit perfectly in their plans. No doubt, this deal would be an absolute win-win for both sides and would completely change the landscape of the NBA. Can Durant oversee hard feelings and return to the place that earned him two championship rings? Very likely, because things have not gone his way since he left.
With Kevin Durant back on board, the Warriors become a terrifying force yet again. In fact, they resemble the 2017 and 2018 championship sides because Steph, Klay, and Durant become the Splash Brothers yet again. Draymond returns, and Kevon Looney becomes the hustle-first center who sets, picks, and plays hard. Overall, this lineup is extremely complete and will be deadly to play against. An older and weakened Klay Thompson and an aging Draymond Green means this team isn’t as good as they were in 2018, but they are awfully close.
An Unlikely But Scary Scenario
Trade Package: Andrew Wiggins, Jordan Poole, James Wiseman, 2023 first-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick for Joel Embiid
In almost any circumstance, a player with Joel Embiid’s skill would be completely untouchable. But the Philadelphia 76ers are not looking too great and are struggling to convince anyone that they are legitimate title contenders, even with the addition of James Harden. Embiid is the main guy on the team, and he is back in the MVP conversation regardless of the team’s play over the past few seasons.
If the Warriors swoop in and offer the three first-round picks with Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, and Jordan Poole, Philly might take a look but probably won’t pull the deal. Young prospect James Wiseman can take some of Embiid’s minutes and can be molded into a full-time starter under a good coach. Doc Rivers signed a long-term deal with Philly so he can build around Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins, 3 picks, and Wiseman. But no doubt, it is obvious who wins this deal.
Joel Embiid with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson would be overkill. The center is averaging 32.3 PPG and 10.1 RPG this season already and is off to the races in terms of going after the MVP award. Embiid can do it all on both ends of the floor, especially when surrounded by arguably the two greatest shooters of all time. Even if Golden State throws everything at the trade offer table, it could be difficult to acquire arguably the best center in the game. But if it happens, book the Warriors to win it all this year.
The Warriors will have to change their philosophy if they do acquire Joel Embiid. With a dominant big man down low, the team must let him eat. Curry is unselfish enough to feed him down low and will be willing to do so, especially since Wiggins and Poole will no longer be beside him. But Curry and Embiid 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. With Klay spotting up as the third option and Draymond remaining, the Warriors would be extremely dominant. With MVP candidate Joel Embiid on the floor, Golden State Warriors become the favorites to win it all, with Curry, Klay, Kuminga, Draymond, and Embiid occupying the starting five.
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