Getty Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr reacts to a call during a game against the Sacramento Kings.
Clearly, the Golden State Warriors‘ dual-timeline approach to roster building has paid off to an incredible degree this season. After all, the team is in the NBA Finals and fresh off a series-tying Game 2 win. That said, Steve Kerr and Co. are definitely making the most of a handful of funky situations.
With James Wiseman being out of commission (and unproven), the Warriors coach has been forced to roll with Kevon Looney in the pivot. And, his postseason effort notwithstanding, Looney is limited in what he brings to the table.
The Dubs have an Andrew Wiggins/Jordan Poole situation to figure out as well, because the players’ lanes will be converging sooner than later. Also: for all of the talent the team has, there’s actually somewhat of a shortfall behind Steph Curry in terms of offensive versatility and the ability of individuals to create.
As such, Bleacher Report‘s Grant Hughes is pitching a former Finals rival and 2022 All-NBA pick as a “no-brainer” trade target this summer.
Pascal Siakam Floated as Possibility
As we have done here, Hughes was quick to point out that the Warriors are in great shape already. The club currently enjoys an embarrassment of riches; adding another star to the mix would just make that even more the case.
Nevertheless, the hoops scribe is pitching Raptors forward Pascal Siakam as the ideal trade target for Kerr, team president Bob Myers and the rest of the Warriors brain trust.
“For the Dubs, who still have James Wiseman in the pipeline and who could easily turn to Jonathan Kuminga as a small-ball 5 in future seasons, Pascal Siakam would be a luxury,” Hughes wrote. “Still, the idea of adding more length and scoring to the frontcourt is intriguing.”
Siakam averaged 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists in 2021-22 while connecting on 34.4% of his triples. The 28-year-old’s unique offensive skill set would be another arrow in Kerr’s quiver on its own while also freeing up more room to operate for Golden State’s perimeter weapons.
“Siakam’s secondary shot creation would force defenses to divert attention from Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole,” he wrote. “Siakam would also supercharge the Warriors’ transition attack. His full-speed spin moves are classified as deadly weapons in several states.”
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Is He Actually Gettable, Though?
If you’re deciding that Siakam is a player you want, the next step is discerning whether you have what it takes to get him. Where the Warriors are concerned, the answer isn’t clear-cut.
For salary-matching purposes, Wiggins is going to be the cornerstone of any return package in a Siakam deal, but he’s probably not enough to get something done. The former No. 1 pick may have been an All-Star this season, but he’s still much more of a Robin (or maybe even an Alfred or a Jim Gordon) than a Batman.
Moreover, the Raptors are much closer to making noise again than one might expect at this point in time and Siakam has been the linchpin. So, additional assembly is required on the Dubs’ part. Wrote Hughes: “The Warriors would need to add sweeteners in the form of picks or prospects.”
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