Rumor has it that the Golden State Warriors may be looking to trade JaVale McGee prior to the trade deadline, but is that such a great idea right now?
The JaVale McGee era has been incredibly fun and entertaining, but the Golden State Warriors may soon be putting an end to that era come February.
Per Marcus Thompson of The Athletic, the Warriors have already discussed a possible trade with the Milwaukee Bucks involving the 30-year-old big man, who’s averaged just 3.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in a career-low 8.1 minutes per game this season.
Warriors beat writer Connor Letrouneau of the San Francisco Chronicle also confirmed Thompson’s report, which definitely doesn’t bode well for the 7-foot center as the Feb. 8 trade deadline quickly draws closer.
But just how wise of a decision would it be to trade him? Is it possible the Warriors could find a use for him later on in the season or in the playoffs? What will happen to McGee’s YouTube series, Parking Lot Chronicles?
Asking these questions, I came up with two reasons why the Warriors should definitely deal him, as well as two reasons why it may not be that great of an idea.
Reason to keep: Injuries have been problematic
When the McGee trade rumors first came up, I understood the situation completely and had absolutely no doubt that he would be dealt by the trade deadline.
That all changed when I watched Jordan Bell go down with a sprained ankle in the opening minutes of Golden State’s game against the Chicago Bulls.
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Put simply, the basketball gods have not been kind to the Warriors this season. Probably the worse instance of the injury bug biting the Dubs at the worst possible time: Stephen Curry missed several games due to multiple ankle tweaks.
The Warriors have had a couple other random injuries here and there to guys like Zaza Pachulia, and both Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala have continued to linger on the injury list.
Patterns like this doesn’t exactly make me confident in their long-term status, and I’d probably add 37-year-old David West to that list, as well.
Any injuries in the frontcourt would immediately open the door for McGee, and this recent injury to Bull certainly qualifies. As unfortunate as the Bell injury may be, the fact of the matter is that McGee could possibly see a jump in minutes in Bell’s absence — as long as Kevon Looney doesn’t take those minutes first.
Reason to trade: Warriors need a creator off the bench
It’s become more and more clear with every passing game that McGee just can’t buy minutes in Steve Kerr‘s rotation with everyone healthy:
Bell has basically replaced McGee in the lineup; Looney has been playing surprisingly well this season; West is having his best season with the Warriors as the primary backup center; and Pachulia is simply more of a bruiser than McGee, which explains why Kerr favors him so heavily over McGee.
In other words, McGee has become the odd man out, which means the Warriors would likely be better off filling his roster spot with a player who could be a better fit or have a better chance at cracking the rotation.
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As it turns out, the Warriors are in desperate need of a floor spacer off the bench to pair with Nick Young and Omri Casspi. Even with the both of them having a solid year with the Dubs, the Warriors bench has still noticeably had trouble putting the ball in the basket, ranking just 19th in points per game among all NBA second units (34.4).
In addition, they rank just 26th in field goal attempts (26.6) and 30th in 3-point attempts (6.3), and that simply ain’t cutting it. As much as we all respect Shaun Livingston and Iguodala, those guys aren’t snipers, and Patrick McCaw hasn’t been as consistent this year as many of us had previously hoped.
Therefore, it would be in Golden State’s best interest to deal McGee for a second unit scorer. If that’s not possible, then the next best thing would be to trade McGee for a draft pick, opening up a spot on the roster.
That spot could then be used to add a guy like Quinn Cook, who’s currently on a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors and their G-League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors. The reasoning behind this is that two-way contract players cannot play in postseason games, and the Dubs would be wise to add some depth at point guard.
Reason to keep: He’s a great teammate
It’s no secret that the Golden State Warriors have a great team environment and, by extension, great chemistry. Any player who’s made a stop in Oakland has had nothing but good things to say about the team, which has helped in making the Warriors a premier destination for free agents.
McGee is just one of those free agents who found a home in Golden State. He genuinely loves being on the Warriors, and I’m sure each of the guys on the roster would hate to see him go.
So maybe, the Warriors would actually benefit from keeping the status quo and saving McGee for when they actually need him. The Warriors don’t shake anything up, and the guys get what they want in keeping McGee while he rides his way to another ring.
Besides, it’s not like he’s locked up long term, so he can very well continue to be a good sport and just leave to greener pastures in the summer. I’m sure a 2-time champion would garner some interest from teams desperately seeking some veteran help in the frontcourt and a great presence in the locker room.
Reason to trade: He wants out
I’d also care to mention that the fact McGee hasn’t been a nuisance off the court really testifies to just how great of a teammate he truly is. According to The Athletic, McGee has understandably been upset with his place in the rotation, as he knows he deserves to be on the floor.
An excerpt from The Athletic:
"McGee hasn’t been happy with his minutes. This is on top of not being happy the Warriors only offered him a minimum contract back in the offseason and told him the starting role wasn’t on the table. McGee isn’t causing problems at all, but it only makes sense to consider moving him if another team is interested."
His skillset of being an athletic big man capable of running the floor and catching lobs is highly coveted, and it’s not like you can teach height. He may not have the reputation of being a reliable rim protector, but he’s capable.
Yet a few questions remain: which teams are able and willing to take McGee off Golden State’s hands and give him the role he wants? Barring a major resurgence, I doubt any team would re-sign McGee for more than a year were he traded to them, so what kind of opportunities are really out there?
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In all likelihood, McGee would probably end up in the same exact role that he currently has in Golden State. Nevertheless, I can’t blame him for wanting to take that chance; in terms of playing time, there’s no where to go but up!
Whatever happens, the fan in me hopes McGee finds his footing with another squad.