The Golden State Warriors have assembled a team they believe can contend for a title — especially with the impending return of Klay Thompson to the lineup — but one insider suggests they can find a way to become even better by adding one of the league’s top scorers.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes broke down a number of potential blockbuster trades where every team comes out a winner, and put the Warriors in a three-way deal that landed them the league’s second-best scorer behind Steph Curry last season in exchange for the entirety of their youth movement.
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Warriors Leverage Future for Title Shot
In the trade proposal from Hughes, the Warriors would be able to land Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal and Toronto Raptors big man Chris Boucher — but give up a massive haul in order to get them. Hughes has the Warriors sending rookie Jonathan Kuminga, wing Andrew Wiggins and next year’s first-round pick to the Raptors, along with swap rights on their 2023 first-round pick. Golden State would also send their 2025 first-round pick to the Wizards, along with rookie Moses Moody and 20-year-old center James Wiseman.
While the deal could vault the Warriors to favorites in the Western Conference and put them in line for another title run, Hughes noted that the team has been unwilling to part with any of their young players. The Warriors reportedly turned down another proposal from the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons that would have required Golden State to send Wiseman, Wiggins, and both of the lottery picks that they ultimately used to take Kuminga and Moody.
Rumored Warriors trade target Bradley Beal reportedly will opt to stay with the Wizards
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As Hughes noted, the addition of Boucher could make the deal more enticing for the Warriors.
“Bradley Beal is the best player in this deal by a considerable margin, but Chris Boucher’s stretch skills make him a great fit in a Warriors offense that will include an ungodly amount of three-point shots this season. A downsized closing lineup of Stephen Curry, Poole, Beal, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green would be unstoppable—perhaps even worth the price of giving up on James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and two firsts.”
Warriors Leaning into Youth Movement
As Hughes suggested, the Warriors may be unlikely to part with any of their young players. The team has already made some considerable investments into Wiseman, not only turning down trade proposals but also committing to keeping him in the starting lineup down the stretch last season — until that season was cut short by injury.
The team has also made it clear that they see both Kuminga and Moody as important pieces for the future. Moody, the No. 14 overall pick, even earned some unusual praise from head coach Steve Kerr.
As Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area noted, Kerr had some strong remarks about the rookie’s basketball instinct after he scored 10 points in 10 fourth-quarter minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers in a preseason game.
As rumors about Bradley Beal, Ben Simmons and Damian Lillard swirl, Joe Lacob says it’s “very unlikely” the Warriors pull off a blockbuster trade for another star
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“We’ve seen him in the last few days start to pick up on things,” Kerr said after the game, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “The first few days were kind of a whirlwind for him. But it’s a testament to his basketball instinct how quickly he’s picking things up.”
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