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As things stand, the Warriors will enter the season with a roster that has undergone significant change, with Klay Thompson and Chris Paul out, and a slew of new wings—De’Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield—in their place. Largely unchanged, though, is the area which perhaps needs the most alteration via Warriors trade: the frontcourt.
Assuming Andrew Wiggins is back as the team’s small forward, the Warriors will have a an odd mix of forwards, with would-be star Jonathan Kuminga and defensive stalwart Draymond Green lined up for power forward minutes and the so-so combo of Trayce Jackson-Davis and veteran Kevon Looney at center.
Recognizing the odd mix there, the Warriors have been aggressive in pursuing Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen, who is eligible for an extension from Utah next week. If that situation gets settled with a new deal for Markkanen, the Warriors will have to move on to a new target. And one of them could be an in-season pickup: Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, who many around the league believe was signed as a free agent by the rebuilding Wizards just to be traded.
Jonas Valanciunas Sweepstakes Coming?
And the Warriors would be a sensible destination, especially if they’re looking for a legitimate interior option to put with Green inside.
The Lakers have been most frequently connected with Valanciunas, but L.A. has also been reluctant to give up either of its tradeable draft picks. If and when Valanciunas hits the market, there figures to be ample competition. He is, after all, a legitimate 6-foot-11 center who averaged 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds last year.
And the Wizards wisely scooped him up on a three-year, $30 million contract to open free agency. The expectation is that Washington will begin looking for a deal for Valanciunas in December, when he becomes eligible to be traded. Expect competition, though.
“The Knicks, we’ll see how their center spot develops,” one NBA exec told Heavy Sports last month, adding the Lakers as a contender for his services. “The Warriors, if the (Lauri) Markkanen thing does not work out.”
Increasingly, it looks like the Markkanen thing won’t work out for the Dubs, which means that an entry into the Valanciunas sweepstakes could be on the table in Golden State.
Warriors Trade Could Center on Moses Moody
Because of his decidedly team-friendly contract, Valanciunas can be had at a reasonable price for the Warriors. A package of Looney and Moses Moody could get a deal done, though it is likely the Wizards would want a draft pick as well. Moody is only 22, though, and given his two-way potential, would be among the best players the Wizards would be offered for Valanciunas.
The Warriors could include a second-rounder or a protected first-rounder if they felt they needed to beat all offers.
Either way, it could be a very fruitful signing for the Wizards, who can plum assets from someone in the coming months for a player they never really planned on keeping, anyway.
“It is a really smart deal for (Valanciunas) because it got him paid at a time when there were just not that many spots available—it’s musical chairs and if you do not get one of the first slots now with the new rules, you’re screwed,” the exec said. “There’s not as much flexibility. But this gets you paid, and the team paying you can say, ‘Hey, we’ll get you to a contender when the time comes.’
“You see it in baseball all the time, a guy who signs with a bad team just to be traded later, and you’re going to see more of it in our game.”
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