The Golden State Warriors see this upcoming 2021-22 season as the year they could finally compete again for an NBA Championship following a 5-year dominance from 2015 to 2019. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green have proven in the past that they are capable of leading a squad to the top of the mountain. But with all three of them going up there in age, and Thompson, in particular, coming off two of the most catastrophic injuries in the game, doing so may prove to be difficult, especially with the competition getting stronger.
This offseason, the Warriors have done a splendid job of surrounding their Big Three with a mix of solid veterans through free agency and promising young studs through the draft. Nonetheless, while Golden State's current make up could compete with the best of them, it still does not assure them of a championship, unlike their superteam run with Kevin Durant. The Warriors can change that if they trade for a star that can put them over the top and they have arguably one of the best packages to land one.
Much like every year, there are some unhappy campers around the league who may not be pleased with their current situations in their respective teams. If Golden State is able to, they should not hesitate to pull the trigger to ensure another championship run with their current core. With that said, here are three disgruntled stars the Warriors need to trade for.
Potential Warriors Trades
1. Warriors Damian Lillard Trade
Several teams are likely monitoring Damian Lillard's situation in Portland closely. There were rumors this past summer about the 6-time All-Star growing displeased with the direction the Blazers are going. With Portland not doing any major moves in the offseason, Lillard may just reach his tipping point at some point during the season. If this happens, Golden State should not hesitate trading for Lillard.
I will die on this ship. Get Damian Lillard to Golden State and they will be instant favorites to win a championship. Obviously, the major question in acquiring the Oakland native would be his fit, given he plays the same position as the Warriors' face of the franchise. Still, the duo of Lillard and Curry in the backcourt would undoubtedly make opposing defenses lose sleep. Surround them with one of the greatest shooters to ever play in Thompson, an elite playmaking forward in Green, and savvy and smart vets, this team is going to be deadly.
The Warriors will probably need to gut their future to acquire Lillard. Perhaps the minimum package will need to begin with last year's no. 2 pick James Wiseman, the 2021 no. 7 Jonathan Kuminga, the 2021 14th pick Moses Moody, and Andrew Wiggins as the salary piece. The Blazers would also probably ask for additional draft assets to sweeten the pot. Obviously, losing their three promising young studs hurts Golden State's future. Parting ways with Wiggins also stings because of the way he just fits into Golden State's needs as an athletic two-way wing, which he proved last season.
Nonetheless, doing this deal gives the Warriors the Core Four that could win multiple championships in Stephen Curry's window. Believers of this direction say that the Dubs need to take advantage of having a once-in-a-generation talent like Curry and this undoubtedly puts them in the best position to win.
Given the collection of reliable veterans Golden State brought in during the offseason, depth should not be much of a concern. The Warriors could also look to round out their lineup when other disgruntled vets come off the buyout market. And looking forward to next season, prospective free agents may be willing to take pay cuts for the chance to win a championship with this star-studded core.
2. Warriors Bradley Beal Trade
A rumored split between Bradley Beal and the Washington Wizards has been brewing over the last couple of seasons now. Nonetheless, the 3-time All-Star indicated this past summer that he still wants to give it another go-around with the Wizards this upcoming season.
Just like Lillard, someone like Beal might not be the best fit for Golden State. The former Florida Gator plays the same position as Klay Thompson and this move would slide the latter to the three spot. While there may be questions with how this team would look on defense, the offensive firepower of a Curry-Beal-Thompson trio would be one of the best in the NBA. With these three running around, Draymond Green will have a field day in locating these three studs on the perimeter. Likewise, he has proven he can still anchor the defense with the best of them, which should address their concerns on that end of the floor.
A deal for Beal would likely be the same as the outlined package for Lillard. As mentioned, this obviously guts Golden State of their future and lets go of a key piece in Wiggins. Nonetheless, it gives them the best chance to win multiple titles over the next three to five years. Beal is also still just 28 years old and is still in the midst of his prime.
3. Warriors Ben Simmons Trade
Lillard and Beal still likely have both of their feet in Portland and Washington, respectively. As for Ben Simmons, he probably already has his bags packed and is just raring to get out of Philadelphia. Philly likely still wants to fix the situation, but the 3-time All-Star probably doesn't want anything to do with that. The Sixers-Simmons relationship has reportedly gone sour and it has apparently reached the point of no return.
With that, Philly has reportedly tried to shop Simmons. However, their asking price is a little too high for teams interested in landing former no. 1 overall pick. In addition, Simmons' reportedly prefers to go to one of the “California teams.” This sparked rumors of the Warriors making a push for the 25-year old stud.
However, Dubs fans are concerned with Simmons' fit, especially alongside a non-scoring threat in Draymond Green. Simmons and Green offer the same skillset, with their playmaking ability and elite and versatile defense. Many feel like they would overlap and their presence on the floor together would limit the space for Stephen Curry to operate and make his magic. Furthermore, Simmons' inability and unwillingness to shoot continues to be one of the knocks of his game and his lack of development on that aspect has been quite a major concern.
The cost of acquiring Simmons ideally shouldn't be as pricey as that of trading for Lillard or Beal. There's no doubt the lefty's stock has fallen, given his past playoff blunders with the Sixers. If Philadelphia becomes desperate and lowers its price tag for Simmons, Golden State strongly consider trading for him.
Despite his glaring weaknesses, Simmons is still one of the most dynamic players in the league. He is a force on the open floor and is an absolute stud on defense. He would ideally benefit from the spacing of playing alongside Curry and Thompson with his ability to explode to the rim.
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