The Golden State Warriors have maintained their desire to compete for a championship during Stephen Curry’s final years in the league. Unfortunately, their current roster isn’t expected to be among the legitimate contenders in the Western Conference.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey has proposed a trade that could give Golden State the necessary high-end talent to reposition them among the West’s elite. The proposed trade looks like this:
Golden State Warriors get: Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans get: Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, and a top-four protected first-round draft pick for 2027.
“Trading one health risk for another is not ideal,” Bailey wrote. “Surrendering a precious draft asset in the process makes it even less so. And prior to recent news on Porziņģis, Zion was arguably the biggest health risk in the league (with tongue-in-cheek apologies to KP and Joel Embiid).”
Bailey continued.
“But in this point in their careers, Zion would represent a massive talent upgrade over Draymond. And whatever that swap would cost Golden State defensively, Williamson could offset it on the other end.”
Williamson, 26, hasn’t hit the heights many expected when he entered the NBA as a first-overall draft pick in 2019. A change of scenery could be what he needs to unlock his full potential. Pairing him with Curry and the spacing that brings could potentially be a smart idea.
Warriors Would Have Three All-Star Level Talents
A key point in this trade proposal is that Golden State would retain Jimmy Butler. Assuming he comes back from his ACL injury and plays at a high level, Steve Kerr would have three All-Star-quality players to work with.
Furthermore, Bailey’s trade proposal doesn’t destroy the Warriors’ depth. Porzingis isn’t expected to feature prominently this season, as he continues to navigate health issues. Green is in the final stage of his career.
Of course, Golden State’s coaching and medical staff would need to feel confident in their ability to keep Williamson on the floor. He’s struggled with his availability since entering the NBA, playing over 50 regular-season games just three times in seven seasons.
Warriors Would Be Taking A Gamble
It’s worth noting that Williamson doesn’t have any playoff experience. New Orleans has made the postseason on two occasions since drafting him, and he wasn’t available in either of those series.
Therefore, trading for Williamson in the hope of boosting your playoff chances is a dice roll. You’d be betting on him both staying healthy and navigating his first postseason experience while playing at an elite level. That’s a lot of “ifs” to build a team around.
Still, even without Green, Golden State would have enough experience within the locker room to help Williamson navigate a deep playoff run.
A move for Williamson would undoubtedly be a risk, but given the Warriors’ desire to give Curry another championship run, it may be a risk worth taking.
Blockbuster 2-For-1 Trade Proposal Lands Zion Williamson With Warriors