5 players the Golden State Warriors should’ve traded for at the deadline
Wayne Ellington
It’s a toss-up between Wayne Ellington and Wesley Matthews on who would’ve been the quintessential addition for Golden State. Both are dynamic sharpshooters. Matthews is a better defender while Ellington is a more consistent perimeter threat.
In Miami, Ellington averaged 2.3 threes per game on 37% shooting. He was thriving in the warm weather before being traded to Phoenix, where he was waived. He then signed with the Detroit Pistons, recently scoring 13 points in his debut.
Well, Ellington could’ve waited the process out and potentially found himself on the Warriors championship-caliber roster. Instead, he opted to quickly sign with the Pistons. For Golden State, it would’ve been worth trading for him before he was waived.
The issue is that the Heat wanted cap flexibility, dealing both Tyler Johnson and Ellington to Phoenix. Golden State couldn’t offer that given their superstar roster filled with high-value contracts.
It was an unlikely match from the get-go, but it wouldn’t been a perfect addition for Golden State.