The Golden State Warriors made one of the biggest trades of the offseason when they sent away Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards for Chris Paul. Paul's addition, as much of a necessity it was to ease the franchise's future financial burden, makes the Dubs' veteran team built around Stephen Curry older and slower. But it seems like the Warriors nearly pulled off a trade to balance things out by adding some much-needed jolt of athleticism to their aging frontcourt.
According to Anthony Slater of The Athletic, the Warriors held trade talks with the Houston Rockets for highflying forward KJ Martin, the 22-year old. However, talks did not progress too far between the two parties as the Los Angeles Clippers swooped in to acquire Martin for the low cost of two second-round picks.
“The Warriors explored the idea of trading for KJ Martin early in the free agency process, league and team sources told The Athletic,” Slater wrote. “The Rockets were rearranging their roster and made the athletic young wing available via trade. He eventually landed with the Clippers for two second-round picks.”
Acquiring Martin did not require the Warriors to exert some financial muscle, since the 22-year old will be making just $1.9 million in the final year of his deal. And seeing what the Clippers gave up for the highflyer, it's interesting to think about what held up trade talks between the Dubs and the Rockets, especially when the team could have fit him in the roster without any problems.
“The Warriors could have fit him on the roster through the trade exception created when Patrick Baldwin Jr. was sent to Washington, but discussions never reached the final stages,” Slater added.
Perhaps the Warriors just decided that acquiring a player to fill in minutes at the four wasn't exactly a pressing need for the team. After all, the team brought back Draymond Green in free agency, Andrew Wiggins can play at the four, and Jonathan Kuminga is certainly making his case for more involvement. But Martin would have flourished in the Warriors' system, given his effectiveness on cuts and his ability to catch lobs.