Warriors Trade Pitch Swaps 2 Rising Stars for $60 Million Shot Blocker

Steph Curry believes the construction of the Golden State Warriors roster makes more sense than it did last year, but it remains literally short on size.

It’s been a busy offseason in the Bay Area, though general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. may not be finished building. If he isn’t, penciling a skyscraper or two into Chase Center’s skyline is probably high on his to-do list. Considering how deep into the luxury tax the Dubs already find themselves, adding height and length to the rotation makes the most sense if it’s done via a trade.

Thus is the premise for a pitch from Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report that would flip four Warriors, including starting center Kevon Looney and first-round pick Brandin Podziemski, to the New York Knicks in exchange for big man Mitchell Robinson and wingman Quentin Grimes. Also headed to the Big Apple in this hypothetical proposal would be rising star Jonathan Kuminga and recent bench signing Cory Joseph.

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Mitchell Robinson Offers Warriors’ Defense Missing Element

The Dubs brought back forward Draymond Green and added free agent big man Dario Saric this offseason, and they still measure up as one of the shortest rotations among the NBA’s contending teams.

“If the Dubs sought more size, Robinson would bring a ton. He’s not only 7’0″ tall, but he seems even bigger thanks to his explosive athleticism,” Buckley wrote on Thursday, July 13. “He would give this front court more vertical lift than it’s had in years, impacting the game as both a shot blocker and a lob finisher.”

Robinson and Grimes together would bring some of the hard-nosed defensive intensity that defined former Warriors’ championship teams, but was often absent in crucial moments during the 2022-23 campaign — both regular season and playoffs.

“Robinson would give Golden State a dimension it doesn’t currently have, and Grimes could quickly find his way to major minutes as a plug-and-play, three-and-D wing,” Buckley continued.

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Trading Jonathan Kuminga is Risky Proposition for Warriors

Robinson is a highly efficient offensive player, boasting a career field goal percentage of 71.2%, though on only 5.0 attempts per game. His primary value is as a rebounder and rim protector, as Robinson has averaged 7.9 boards and 2.0 blocks per game over the course of his five-year NBA career, according to Basketball Reference. He has also put up 0.9 steals per night as a pro.

It is Robinson’s defense and predilection for doing his team’s dirty work that earned the center a four-year, $60 million contract in July 2022. Those characteristics also render Robinson the perfect front court teammate for Green.

The loss of Kuminga would unquestionably hurt Golden State’s perimeter defense, though Grimes could serve as an adequate replacement. Grimes, 23, is also entering his third NBA season in 2023-24, the same as Kuminga.

Grimes has been better from behind the arc than Kuminga, topping 38% in each of the last two seasons on an average of 5.1 attempts per game. Kuminga is a 35% career three-point shooter on much lower volume with just 2.2 attempts per night, though he shot below 34% from deep as a rookie.

Three inches taller, Kuminga’s size is superior to Grimes, as is his athleticism. The risk the Warriors run if they choose to swap Kuminga for any player is missing out on what could be an incredibly high ceiling of a high-flying, versatile defender who can play above the rim with just about anyone in the league.

That said, Golden State has pushed all its chips into the pot on the next few years behind its Big 3. Adding rim protection and three-point shooting for the present may now make more sense for the Warriors than holding out for Kuminga’s potential stardom, which might not be realized — if it ever is at all — before Curry, Green and Klay Thompson have retired.

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