The Golden State Warriors are hoping building together a cast of productive rotational players around Stephen Curry can enhance the team enough to rebound from a Play-In exit last season to a Playoff contender this year. They’ve replaced outgoing players such as Chris Paul and Klay Thompson with Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, and De’Anthony Melton, but they need to make a final few additions to their roster to be serious threats.
All major contenders in the West have towers marshaling their paint as full-time centers. The Warriors were forced to phase out Kevon Looney last season, with Trayce Jackson-Davis not being consistent enough as a second-round rookie to be a full-time starter. This led to Draymond Green playing as center multiple times last season, a situation they can avoid if they take a center off the Atlanta Hawks in a major deal.
Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Clint Capela
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Moses Moody, Andrew Wiggins, 2026 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (ATL)
The Warriors return old Hawks second-round picks they acquired in past trades along with giving them a young prospect like Moses Moody. In addition, Andrew Wiggins could rediscover the form we saw him have in 2022 in a Hawks system where he can play off Trae Young. Clint Capela would be a towering inside presence to deter opponents from testing the rim.
The Warriors Double-Up On Size In A Tall West
The Warriors have plenty of perimeter players to replace the outgoing players in this deal. Anderson, Hield, and Melton are all perimeter presences across the guard and forward spots. A center rotation of Looney and Jackson-Davis with Green thrown in at times won’t be able to withstand 82 games in an NBA that’s rediscovered the importance of size. Even past Warriors successes have featured low-maintenance centers who focus on executing their role, with Capela a direct evolution of them.
He averaged 11.5 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks last season with the Hawks, still proving that he can be a dominant two-way presence at center. While he isn’t the explosive lob catcher he once was, he’s one of the best offensive and defensive rebounders in the NBA who could thrive in the Warriors system as the clean-up guy on both ends. He’s also one of the better screen-setters in the NBA, a skill that the Warriors desperately need to successfully run their motion offense.
Capela will help the Warriors combat the top-tier contenders in the West such as the Timberwolves, Nuggets, Thunder, and Mavericks, all featuring elite big men or robust big men rotations. Capela with Looney and Jackson-Davis behind him and Draymond as a versatile four-man, the Warriors could find a way to match up with those teams as well as more comparable opponents such as the Lakers and Kings.
The Hawks Re-Tool Their Roster On The Fly
The Hawks have given it multiple seasons with this core roster around Trae Young and it simply hasn’t worked since 2021. With Capela turning 32 years old next season, the Hawks can’t afford to keep Capela and hamper the development of Onyeka Okongwu anymore. Okongwu isn’t as imposing a pain presence as Capela but is an insanely athletic shot-blocker and lob-catcher who could thrive with more opportunity alongside Young.
The primary piece of the trade depends on potential, as Moses Moody hasn’t gotten a chance to showcase his full talents to the Warriors so far in his career. While he’ll have to fight for a rotational spot with players like Dyson Daniels and Bogdan Bogdanovic ahead of him, his positional versatility means he could receive minutes wherever he can fit in. He averaged 8.1 points and 3.0 rebounds last season.
Wiggins is the more proven player, averaging 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds last season in one of the worst years of his career. Even then, Wiggins’ defensive impact was clearly seen with occasional offensive outbursts as well. While there’s a major question mark over how much Wiggins can help the Hawks right now, a wing presence like him next to a ball-dominant guard like Young can’t hurt them.Â
The Hawks Build A Roster Which Furthers Their Goals As The Warriors Hope To Contend
This deal could be great value for both teams. The Warriors get an upgrade at center without giving up any draft asset they own. Moody and Wiggins are notable losses, but the Warriors seem to prefer younger players like Brandin Podziemski and Jonathan Kuminga in those positions respectively. The signing of Anderson adds forward depth while Melton adds guard depth.Â
This allows them to add an upgrade to the one position they need the most while maintaining their prized young assets and future draft capital. They can get a deal like this because moving off Capela is in the Hawks’ interest. He’s no longer needed on the franchise with the steady growth Okongwu has shown. In addition, they acquired a small-ball five this summer in Larry Nance Jr., giving the Hawks the optionality they need at center. Keeping Capela around won’t be the best use of assets for the Hawks.
The assets being moved are relatively low-risk as well, with the Warriors having cause to worry about Moody or Wiggins blossoming into something they could have used. However, that’s a trade-off they’ll be willing to make if Capela can even come close to replicating his numbers on the Hawks last season in a far more challenging Western Conference.
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