Golden State Warriors: 5 Teams That Would Pursue David Lee

New Orleans Pelicans/ Chicago Bulls

Apr 12, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) drives toward the basket beside New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon (10) and forward Ryan Anderson (33) during the second half at the New Orleans Arena. Los Angeles defeated New Orleans 96-93. Mandatory Credit: Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

A potential (and completely fictional) multi-team trade could send David Lee to the Chicago Bulls, Luol Deng to the New Orleans Pelicans and Eric Gordon to the Golden State Warriors. This trade benefits all the teams in multiple ways.

Let’s start with the Warriors. Keeping in the trend of athletic shooting guards, Gordon would be a massive addition. The Indiana University product is not new to talks concerning the Warriors, as there were talks of earlier trades before the deadline.

Gordon would provide the much-needed slash-and-kick guard that could space and open the floor for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes. He has also displayed proficiency at shooting beyond the arc, not at a Curry or Thompson level, but enough to keep in line with the Warriors’ ability to spread the floor with their shooting.

Gordon is the riskiest piece of this trade, however, as he has suffered from knee cartilage issues in the past years. When he is healthy, he is an offensive powerhouse and would be a great addition to the Warriors.

Now, let’s discuss what the other teams have to gain with this deal.

The Bulls would gain a straight upgrade to Carlos Boozer, and would thus be able to amnesty the aging veteran. Lee costs more or less the same as Boozer, but is a year younger and puts up better numbers. The Bulls would also benefit by allowing Jimmy Butler to develop and receive more playing time at small forward.

The Hornets would receive Deng, a proven talent and All-Star who would be leaps and bounds above current small forward Al-Farouq Aminu. Deng would mesh well with pass-first point guard Greivis Vasquez and stretch-four Ryan Anderson. Deng averaged 16.5 points this season compared to Aminu’s 7.3 points. Although is an inch shorter than Aminu (which probably explains the rebounding deficit), the nine-point scoring differential more than makes up the deficit. Deng would also add a little more strength to the roster, as he was played nearly 900 minutes more than Aminu this season.