As the Golden State Warriors‘ season continues to spiral, Bill Simmons of The Ringer proposed a mega-trade that could give Stephen Curry his greatest pick-and-roll partner for his longtime teammate Draymond Green.
Simmons pushed the idea of an all-in trade for Anthony Davis, who, along with LeBron James, is “growing concerned” with the Los Angeles Lakers‘ ability to significantly improve their roster.
Golden State Warriors receive: Anthony Davis
Los Angeles Lakers receive: Draymond Green, Dennis Schröder, Jonathan Kuminga, Trayce Jackson-Davis, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 pick swap
“It’s a pretty good trade,” Simmons said on his podcast. “The [Lakers] are getting Draymond, Schröder, Kuminga. They get to roll the dice on Jackson-Davis. And if you’re the Warriors, you still have enough left, and you’re going to build around Davis and Curry going down the stretch, and you could probably get creative with some other moves. It’s kind of fun.”
In Simmons’ trade scenario, the Warriors would still have Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and Kevon Looney as the supporting cast of the potential Curry-Davis tandem.
“That trade I laid out — if that actually happened — would be one of the most fun trade moments of the 21st century. There’s so much going on in that trade in all different directions,” Simmons said.
The Warriors were shut down during the last NBA trade deadline in their attempt to trade for James. So it’s not out of the Warriors’ character to swing big again and try to get James’ frontcourt partner instead.
Davis is having an MVP-type season, averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists, 1.3 steal and 2.2 blocks. He could easily become the best center Curry ever had in his career.
Draymond Green ‘Get to Play’ With Lebron James
In Simmons’ mind, Green would welcome a trade to the Lakers.
After all, Green has a house in Los Angeles. He spends his summer there. He and James are friends and both under the same agency, Klutch Sports. It was this connection that made Green, the prime mover of the Warriors’ LeBron pursuit last year.
“I think the only team that you could talk yourself into this being a realistic scenario is the Lakers because Draymond gets to live in Los Angeles and play with Lebron,” Simmons continued. “Draymond might be like this, ‘Sounds great. I’ve always wanted to be on the Lakers, let’s do it.'”
The treatment Klay Thompson received from the Warriors, which led him to leave the Warriors in the offseason, is a sign that the organization beholden to their dynasty core, except for Curry, isn’t ironclad.
Steph Curry’s Warning
While Davis can make the Warriors an instant playoff contender, it’s not making them a title favorite.
Such wild all-in trade for Davis is the desperate move that Curry has warned the Warriors’ front office about.
“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done,” Curry told reporters following the Warriors’ 104-101 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Monday, January 13. “[It] Doesn’t mean that you’re not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean that you’re not active in any type of search to, if you have an opportunity where a trade makes sense or even in the summer free agency [move] makes sense. You want to continue to get better.
“Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But it doesn’t mean that you’re desperate just flinging assets all around the place just because you want to do something.”
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Warriors Trade Proposal Lands Steph Curry’s Greatest Pick-and-Roll Partner For Draymond Green