Warriors Trade Pitch Flips Fan Favorite to Lakers for Max Christie

Getty Max Christie of the Los Angeles Lakers defends against Jonathan Kuminga of the Golden State Warriors.

The early offseason has not gone the Golden State Warriors‘ way.

The team attempted to acquire Paul George, but bailed on Chris Paul and his $30 million salary as a trade chip after George signed a max deal with the Philadelphia 76ers. Klay Thompson appears on his way out of the Bay Area as he discusses potential deals with several contenders and could be playing for a new team as early as Monday, July 1.

All that money off the books is great news for the Dubs’ front office and its luxury tax bills, but losing all that talent for nothing in return is the opposite for a roster full of players that have either seen too many NBA campaigns or too few. With limited and pricey free agent options as perhaps the only way to now meaningfully improve the team, Golden State finds itself in a position where it should at least consider trading some fringe assets with an eye toward the future.

The Los Angeles Lakers‘ top need this offseason might be accurate shooting from deep, though it was defense that won the team the NBA title in 2020 — the only ring LeBron James and Anthony Davis have captured as a five-year duo. With that in mind, Sam Quinn of CBS Sports authored a trade pitch over the weekend that would see the Dubs send Gary Payton II to Los Angeles.

“The Lakers have been dying for an Alex Caruso replacement ever since he left,” Quinn wrote on Saturday, June 29. “Payton is the league’s closest analog as a lockdown perimeter defender, barely passable shooter and excellent off-ball offensive player in space.”

Gary Payton II May Carry Meaningful Value to Lakers in Win-Now Roster Construction

GettyGary Payton II of the Golden State Warriors.

Payton’s defensive rating over the course of his career is 108.1, exactly 8 points better than the league average of 116.1 last season. His number was not as good last year, coming in at 113.0, though it was still low enough to render him well above-average as a perimeter defender.

Injuries have plagued the now 31-year-old guard over the past two campaigns, during which he has appeared in just 22 and 44 regular-season games, respectively. But, when healthy in 2021-22, Payton was a meaningful cog in the Warriors’ run to a championship.

He suffered an injury during that postseason, though he returned to contribute meaningfully during the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, which the Dubs captured in six games.

Payton shot 35.8% from behind the 3-point line during the Warriors’ title season, connected on 50% of his 3-point tries the following year in a very limited sample size and hit 36.4% of his attempts from behind the arc last season, per Basketball Reference.

Max Christie Sensible Trade Target for Warriors if Team Hits Rebuild Mode

GettyMax Christie of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Depending on where the Warriors are with their cap construction after releasing Paul Sunday, as well as potentially losing Thompson to one of several interested contenders, Golden State may not need to make the money match exactly in a deal for Payton, which opens up some interesting possibilities.

However, if Paul and Thompson both leave, the Warriors will face a crossroads at which the franchise must decide if (and how) it can actually compete with the top of the Western Conference. Stephen Curry is still a top 10 player and Draymond Green is still probably in the ballpark of a top 10 defender, but that’s simply not enough to win in a stacked West. It may not even be enough to make the playoffs without big leaps from several youngsters on the roster.

If the Dubs are playing to win now, Payton is someone they probably ought to keep on his $9.1 million salary. But if the Warriors are interested in hitting the reset button, Max Christie of the Lakers represents a move toward youthful potential.

L.A. just signed Christie to a to a four-year deal worth $32 million, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Christie will turn 22 years old during the middle of next season, just his third in the league.

He averaged 4.2 points, 2.1 rebounds and 0.9 assists last season in just 14.1 minutes per game, though he showed flashes of potential far exceeding those figures. Christie has also connected on 37.8% of his 3-point tries on nearly 2 attempts per game over his first two NBA seasons.

The Lakers are in win-now mode, which makes Christie a superfluous luxury and Payton a meaningful piece. If the Warriors transition to future mode, the deal could make sense.