The Golden State Warriors are watching their season go from bad to worse after they fell to 17-20 with a 36-point loss to the New Orleans Pelicans at home. The Warriors’ roster as currently constructed is unlikely to help them improve in any considerable way, with a play-in appearance possibly being their best-case right now. But the Lakers showed last season how a winter trade could change the fortunes of a franchise to go from the play-in to the Western Conference Finals.Â
The Warriors are reportedly interested in Dejounte Murray, with the Hawks guard allegedly on the trade block with teams like the Lakers and Spurs interested. Instead of letting two Western Conference teams improve, the Warriors could make a major move to improve the condition of their roster by adding not only Murray but a hard-nosed center who’ll be willing to do the dirty work.
Trade Details
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Moses Moody, 2027 First-Round Pick (GSW), 2026 Second-Round Pick (ATL), 2028 Second-Round Pick (ATL)
Golden State Warriors Receive: Dejounte Murray, Clint Capela
The Warriors make a bold move to send the Hawks two of its second-round picks back along with a first, the misfiring Andrew Wiggins, a defensive guard like Gary Payton II to fit next to Trae Young, and a talented young prospect like Moses Moody.
The Hawks Take Steps Towards Fixing Their Contention Window
The Murray trade from the 2022 offseason has bit the Hawks badly. After a first-round appearance last year, the Hawks look destined for another play-in appearance at best. Their record improved to 15-21 with a win over the Joel Embiid-less 76ers, but they’re in a dogfight with teams like the Bulls and Raptors, who may just have better rosters at this point. This isn’t the season to compete for the playoffs and Atlanta can use this as a gap year, similar to what the Dallas Mavericks did last season.
Andrew Wiggins has been disappointing for Golden State, averaging 11.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. But he showed flashes of elite 3-and-D plays last season and was arguably the second-most important player on the Warriors title squad just two seasons ago. The Hawks need a dynamic wing like Wiggins next to Trae but will have to rebuild his value over the end of this season to extract his potential next season. A change of scenery may be what Wiggins needs after a challenging season-and-a-half in Golden State.
Young players such as Moses Moody could be immensely valuable, whether it’s to the Hawks’ future contention plans or as a trade chip down the line. He’s averaging 8.7 points and 3.1 rebounds, recently getting an increased role amidst the poorly performing veterans and missing players. Gary Payton II has an injury bug he needs to kick but is a decent salary-filler in this trade, possibly being useful as a defensive guard next to Trae Young.
The Warriors Strengthen Their Roster For A Late-Season Push
One of the biggest concerns the Warriors have been faced with this season is playmaking. The motion offense generates a lot of assists, but there isn’t a single floor-setter on the roster beyond Chris Paul, something that’s been abundantly clear as they’ve lost every game since Paul’s injury. Draymond Green’s absence has further exacerbated this issue and Golden State desperately needs guard play to not only create offense for themselves but for everyone else as well.
Dejounte Murray is the medicine they need. He’s averaging 21.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.0 assists, coming into his own this season as an offensive player. His defense has taken a hit, but the former All-Defensive guard is young enough to find that level of play once again if he’s motivated. Adding him to Golden State would shore up their guard rotation and give them an offensive option beyond the inconsistent Klay Thompson and struggling Stephen Curry to rely on.
Center play has been another major issue for Golden State, as Kevon Looney has started falling out of the rotation and has been replaced as the starter by a second-round rookie. Even with the promise Trayce Jackson-Davis is showing, it’s clear Golden State needs a definite center option if they intend to be competitive. Clint Capela is still a rebound machine and rim protector who can perform the same role Looney provided on the 2022 title team. He’s averaging 11.6 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks, primed to impress in the Golden State system and what they want their centers to do.
Both Teams Get A Chance To Move On
The Hawks have tried making the Trae-Dejounte duo a contender but it looks like there are too many stylistic challenges to overcome. If they make this move, they can move on from Dejounte, give their young core a chance to shine this season, and re-tool in the summer to form the bones of a contender. Otherwise, continuing on with this saga for another year may end up hurting the value they can extract from Dejounte, similar to what they did with John Collins by valuing him too highly.
The Warriors get to give Jonathan Kuminga a starting role in place of Wiggins, forming a strong defensive frontcourt with Draymond Green and possibly Clint Capela if the deal goes through. The backcourt could see Steph start with Dejounte and Klay is the primary offensive option on the bench lineup with a point guard like Chris Paul. That’s already a fierce seven-man rotation, with the likelihood of TJD, Dario Saric, and Brandin Podziemski filling it out and making a very strong lineup on paper.
The Warriors can’t afford to waste another year of Curry in his prime. With the poor spell he’s been on recently, it’s becoming obvious that this era is one step closer to ending. This trade would give them a fighting chance at least, and the opportunity to keep the new core around for longer.Â
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