The Golden State Warriors made a very conscious roster decision this offseason, opting to hold onto both lottery picks and a promising young player instead of trying to package them in a trade for an established star.
But one report suggests that the Warriors could change course, giving up on the youth movement in order to land an All-Star big man who could propel the team to a title. After two straight seasons that ended short of the playoffs, the Warriors are hoping that the expected return of Klay Thompson can make them a contender again, and a report suggests that a blockbuster trade could help the matter.
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Warriors Swing Three-Way Trade in Blockbuster Proposal
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes broke down a series of hypothetical trades to create new NBA superteams, starting with the Warriors. He suggested that Golden State could land Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony towns while shipping out both lottery picks, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, along with second-year center James Wiseman.
In order to work out the trade, the Warriors would send their young players to the Timberwolves along with a 2026 first-round pick, while also shipping wing Andrew Wiggins and an unprotected 2022 first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Hughes speculated that the trade could make the Warriors a formidable title contender.
“The Warriors land the biggest prize, adding Karl-Anthony Towns to a closing lineup that would also include Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala and Draymond Green,” he wrote. “This would have been a much more tantalizing trade in 2018 or so, when all the incumbent Dubs were younger and, in Thompson’s case, not coming off two major surgeries. But it still adds a ridiculously potent offensive weapon in Towns at a position of need, bringing almost unfathomable spacing by pairing him with Curry and Thompson.”
Warriors Prize Young Players
While the trade proposal could be tantalizing, the Warriors have not given any indication that they plan to part with the young players. The team reportedly turned down trade proposals for Wiseman last year, instead committing to his development by giving him a permanent place in the starting lineup after the All-Star break. Though his season was ultimately cut short by injury, Wiseman earned the endorsement of coach Steve Kerr and general manager Bob Myers.
The Warriors seem likewise committed to both Kuminga and Moody, and their new teammates are excited to take the court with them. Curry and Green both made it to Las Vegas to watch the rookies in Summer League, and the two-time league MVP found Kuminga especially impressive.
“We were watching him last night with Steph and Draymond,” Myers said Thursday on 95.7 The Game’s “Damon, Ratto & Kolsky.” “For me, in the position I’m in, it’s almost like watching your kids. … I almost care more what a player might say about him and think about him, because they don’t carry that bias.
“But talking to Curry and Draymond, Steph kind of elbowed me and said, ‘This kid’s pretty good.’ And these guys don’t compliment easily. They’ve seen a lot.”
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