As the NBA trade deadline heats up, with two landscape-shifting moves being made in the past two days, the Golden State Warriors have seemingly been left out in the cold without the means to truly improve their roster.
Late Saturday night, news broke that the Dallas Mavericks were trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers in three-team deal including star big man Anthony Davis. Then, on Sunday, news broke yet again. The Sacramento Kings had traded De'Aaron Fox to the San Antonio Spurs in a three-team deal that sent Zach LaVine from the Chicago Bulls to Sacramento.
While the Warriors had discussions concerning trading for both LaVine and Bulls center Nikola Vučević, they ultimately felt as though the price was too high which enabled the Kings to make the deal.
Now, with Jimmy Butler also having stated that he's not interested in being traded to Golden State, the Warriors have very few options left on the trade market. One potentially available player, however, might present a potential upgrade over a current Warriors starter.
Can the Brooklyn Nets provide more help?
The Warriors have already partnered with the Brooklyn Nets for a trade this season, acquiring Dennis Schröder in December for only a trio of second-round picks and an injured De'Anthony Melton.
Now, as the Nets look to continue tanking in the standings, Cam Johnson remains the biggest piece they could possibly trade before the deadline. Golden State already have expressed interest in Johnson this season, as talks took place during the negotiation of the Schröder trade that centered around including Johnson in the deal.
There were indeed talks between the Warriors and Nets that involved both Dennis Schroder and Cam Johnson, sources said, but for now this just sounds like the veteran point guard heading to Golden State. https://t.co/2cmyRbTg8d
— Jake Fischer (@JakeLFischer) December 14, 2024
Johnson is currently in the midst of the best season of his career, averaging 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for Brooklyn. The Warriors have floated a protected first-round pick around the league were the right deal to surface, and they almost certainly have the necessary resources to acquire Johnson.
Such a deal, however, would presumably need to include current Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins. Would Cam Johnson present an upgrade over Wiggins?
Would it be an upgrade?
Through 42 games this season, Wiggins has averaged 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. All things considered he's been Golden State's second-most consistent offensive performer.
However, he has struggled in finishing at the rim, a vital component to his game and the Warriors offense as a whole. Wiggins has shot only 50.6% on lay-ups this season, placing him firmly below the historical league average.
Johnson, meanwhile, is shooting 62.8% from the same spot, while also shooting 42.6% from the 3-point line -- a sizeable edge over Wiggins' 38.3%. There might be a downside on the defensive end, but Johnson's length and size could also make him a capable contributor on that end.
While Lavine was the ideal candidate to solve the Warriors' offensive woes, Johnson could be a suitable consolation prize. He has three remaining years of team control, and his annual cap hit of $22.5 million is far less than what Golden State would have been taking on with LaVine.
In a one-for-one deal, the Warriors would almost certainly be adding an upgrade to their roster. Yet in the likely scenario that extra compensation is requested by the Nets, the Warriors may not view Johnson's addition to the roster as a priority.
However, for the right price, the Warriors could potentially acquire a notable upgrade to their roster at the cost of moving on from their 2022 All-Star.