Trading for assets is one of the quickest ways an NBA team can raise their ceiling over the offseason. For the Golden State Warriors, offering one of the league’s best packages is their greatest chance at building a title contender overnight.
The Warriors have a collection of assets that can go toe-to-toe with any other package on the market. That is to say, any realistic trade a team can offer — the Dubs can match. Golden State has an elite gift basket with the combination of James Wiseman, Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins and two lottery picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.
There is no trade the Golden State Warriors can’t get involved in as they currently have one of the best available packages in the NBA.
We’ll start with likely the most valuable prospect the Dubs have to offer: James Wiseman. Say what you will about his bumpy rookie season, Wiseman has all of the makings of a high-impact player in a league that is still reliant on dominant big men.
Wiseman’s future as a rim protector, rebounder, finisher and potentially even a floor-spacer gives him all the makings of a star. At his absolute worst, he’s still a freakish seven-foot athlete who can impact a game with his height alone. Plenty of teams will be interested in taking on this development project considering Wiseman is still only 20 years old.
Even if a team isn’t thrilled with Wiseman, the addition of two lottery picks puts this deal on the table for just about anyone. The Warriors don’t have the best position in the NBA Draft but being slotted at No. 7 and 14 in the order gives them avenues to target teams who are desperate to accelerate their rebuild.
Lastly, Wiggins is available to match any salaries. While teams won’t be thrilled about taking on a max-contract player who rounds out to be roughly above league average as a two-way threat — it should be noted that Wiggins has just two years left on his contract. This will be a small sacrifice to make for the benefits of gaining Wiseman and multiple lottery picks.
Other names like Jordan Poole, Eric Paschall and Kent Bazemore can all act as sweeteners to get a deal done.
Who would be interested in trading with the Golden State Warriors?
With all of this being said, who exactly would the Golden State Warriors be targetting with this package?
Well, it’s an easy bet to say the Dubs won’t offer the Godfather deal unless a bonafide star is on the other end of it. A shot for the No. 1 pick and Cade Cunningham is about what you should expect from this level of trade. Other options include frustrated stars such as Zach LaVine, Bradley Beal and Ben Simmons.
More realistic, however, is a compartmentalized trade involving just one or a few of the above-listed assets. It is much more likely the Warriors flip their picks in some combination with Poole, Paschall, Kevon Looney and Wiseman in an effort to get one more talented player like Domantas Sabonis, Marcus Smart or Joe Ingles.
Even so, the cost of trading Wiseman is one the Warriors won’t take lightly. In all honesty, the franchise is better off holding onto their cards and playing this next season out — with their two lottery picks being the only real assets I’d consider trading.
Nevertheless, there is no debate that the Warriors have one of the best available packages in the league.