Getty Christian Wood makes a move in the post in a game against the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors have a few big priorities this offseason as they plan to build a contending team for the return of Klay Thompson — including adding some veteran players and using young talent and lottery picks as trade bait to bring in another starting-caliber player.
One new proposal finds a way to achieve both in one move. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley broke down a series of hypothetical trades that could take place this offseason, including one that would land a veteran guard and a breakout big man from the Houston Rockets in exchange for a pair of starting players and one of the team’s two lottery picks.
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Warriors Add Breakout Star
Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the Warriors are hoping to add a starting-caliber player by trading young big man James Wiseman and a combination of the team’s No. 7 and No. 14 draft picks. After an MVP-caliber season from Steph Curry in 2020, the team is looking to maximize the time he has left at his peak and take advantage of Thompson’s return, and adding another quality player is a top priority.
Buckley proposes a trade that would accomplish that goal while still allowing the Warriors to hold onto their higher pick. In his proposal, the Warriors would package Wiseman together with the No. 14 pick and starter Kelly Oubre Jr. in a sign-and-trade to send to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Christian Wood and Eric Gordon. While Wiseman struggled a bit in adjusting to the NBA and fitting into the Golden State offense, Buckley believed that Wood could be a more immediate fit.
“Christian Wood’s versatility looks like it was built for the Bay,” he wrote. “He can function as both a rim-runner and a floor-spacer, which could add new, dynamic options to the club’s high pick-and-rolls. He’d put yet another gravitational pull on defenders, which would give Curry and Thompson more room to operate and open up slashing lanes for [Draymond] Green and Andrew Wiggins.”
The 25-year-old Wood had a breakout season with the Rockets last year, averaging 21 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, though his season was marked by injury.
Warriors free agent Kelly Oubre Jr. sits down with @Stadium: “I can’t sit here and focus on the things that go on with the suit and ties. I have to lock in on the court. I think the whole world knows what I’m capable of…allow me to show.” On learning from Steph/Draymond, more:
Other Plans for Oubre Jr.
Gordon would also provide the veteran leadership that Warriors general manager Bob Myers said the team wants to add this offseason.
“I do know we need veterans,” Myers said at the end of last season, via The Athletic. “We have to add some veterans in free agency. We just have to. We’re well aware of that. We’ll try to do it. We actually tried to do it last year with a few guys, so it wasn’t as if that mindset didn’t exist.”
The Warriors could ultimately take a different route with Oubre, who was a fixture in the starting lineup last season but would likely need to move to the bench with Thompson’s return next year. With the Warriors headed toward luxury tax territory, Oubre’s expected contract would become very expensive, especially for a reserve, and many believe the Warriors will attempt to use him in a sign-and-trade deal.
In an appearance on JJ Redick’s podcast, Andre Iguodala revealed he used to think Stephen Curry deserved the Finals MVP award in 2015.
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer speculated that the Warriors could use Oubre to land Andre Iguodala from the Miami Heat, a move that would also satisfy Myers’s desire for leadership while also bringing back a fan-favorite player.
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