The Golden State Warriors won their last game before the trade deadline tonight, beating an injured Philadelphia 76ers and improving their record to 23-25. They’re the No. 11 seed in the West and need to dash up the standings as we enter the second half of the season. With the trade deadline in less than 24 hours, Golden State needs to explore the market to see what upgrades they can get.
The Warriors gave Jonathan Kuminga the chance he wanted and now the 21-year-old forward might be untouchable for the franchise. But they need to make improvements on the roster, and they have plenty of big salaries to use in trades. Klay Thompson or Draymond Green could be sacrificed for an upgrade, but it’s likely GSW look for trades with Andrew Wiggins as the centerpiece.
If the Warriors are willing to lose a forward like Wiggins, it has to be for a similar player. Maybe this leads them to acquire a particular wing that plays in Portland?
Trade Details
Blazers Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, 2025 Second-Round Pick (CHA), 2027 Second-Round Pick (GSW)
Warriors Receive: Jerami Grant
The Blazers have been unwilling to move on from Jerami Grant, but this would be the perfect move. They take a lateral step by acquiring a similar player like Wiggins, with the Canadian forward having a smaller contract than Grant. Instead of a first-round pick, Moses Moody will see his promising career in Golden State come to an end and go to Portland as a future asset.
The Blazers Continue Rebuilding
The Trail Blazers accepted the reality of being a tanking/rebuilding team this summer when they traded Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkic away. While the Blazers have had some great games, they are 15-35 on the year and have no incentive to be competitive. Grant is locked up for the next four years, so the Blazers aren’t in a rush to move him but every year his trade value will diminish further.
Wiggins has had a tough year, averaging 12.4 points and 4.3 rebounds, but his form has slowly been improving in 2024. Wiggins might need a new situation to rediscover the version of him we saw dominating in the 2022 NBA Finals. He’s slightly younger than Grant and has a cheaper contract, which could be an acceptable asset for Portland as they continue finding core pieces for the future.
Nobody has offered the Blazers first-round picks for Grant in trades, primarily due to his four-year contract. The Warriors will look to protect their asset similarly but need to offer Portland some future upside pieces. With the integral roles of Kuminga and Brandin Podziemski on the team right now, that piece has to be Moses Moody. Moody is averaging 8.6 points and 3.0 rebounds this season.
The Warriors Add The Perfect Piece For A Playoff Push
Jerami Grant is a proven contributor in the NBA, but he’s only done it for losing teams. Outside his early-career success with the Nuggets, Grant has been rotating around losing teams for the better part of the last five years. He might be content with his $30 million annual salary in Portland, but there are better competitive opportunities for him around the league.
Grant is averaging 21.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.6 assists this season, even leading the Blazers to wins at times. The team is too young to make use of the 30-year-old forward’s contributions for wins. The Blazers keep him around as the designated veteran on the roster, but they may be better off by letting him go to a competitive situation as he enters his 30s. Golden State would be the perfect fit as well, with the team missing a high-level wing scorer like Grant.
The loss of Moody may hurt the long-term picture of the team, but you have to give up future pieces to improve the team immediately. With an experienced starting lineup and an energetic bench, the Warriors could transform their season by acquiring Grant.
The Warriors Put Themselves In Position For A Playoff Run
Missing the playoffs in a year where the big three have been mostly healthy all year will mark the death of the Warriors dynasty. But with Stephen Curry still performing like one of the best players in the NBA, the team needs to show urgency in trying to keep the team competitive around him. This deal would do precisely that, as it protects future draft assets while giving up pieces that might not help them win games this season.
A frontcourt with Grant, Kuminga, and Draymond Green would be good for a team that revolves around Curry. Kuminga would likely take a sixth-man role behind Grant for the season, but Golden State may rely on Kuminga and Grant as the forward pair for closing lineups, with Green either playing small-ball center or being on the bench.
The Warriors rarely made trades to reinforce their team through the dynasty era, but we’ve seen them make multiple moves in the last 12 months to keep this team competitive. They can’t let those efforts fail now and need to make a major trade to keep pace with the Western Conference.
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