The Golden State Warriors do not need a blockbuster trade to contend

It’s been an interesting offseason for the Golden State Warriors, and now they’ll enter the new season with all the leverage in trade talks.

Prior to the draft, they were making headlines for being the quintessential destination for players like Pascal Siakam and Ben Simmons. Nothing ended up happening as the Warriors used both of their lottery picks. They went for development instead of adding a star.

The Golden State Warriors will have the chance to trade for Ben Simmons or another star player. The real question is: should they?

With the No. 7 overall pick, the Warriors took Jonathan Kuminga. They selected James Wiseman with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. They have two players both of which cannot legally drink yet will be asked to help this roster contend.

There’s no denying the Warriors could’ve gone and made a blockbuster trade. They decided not to, but the Warriors should still want to contend with an MVP-caliber Stephen Curry on the roster. They clearly believe they can.

The Athletic’s Marcus Thompon joined The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor on The Ringer NBA Show. He talked about how the Warriors went away from adding a star, and they “went the other route” which included added enough pieces that are capable of helping Curry.

Only time will tell if this route will actually lead to a team that’s capable of contending, but as Thompson also noted, general manager Bob Myers doesn’t want to be a 20-win team after the Big 3 are done in the Bay Area.

This was the preferred route, and it’s the one they’ll end up taking. Buyout players will also be available could help this team, but they went the way of adding enough specialized talents to cover up their need for a quality second scoring option.

On paper, this team looks like they’re capable of winning a title, but the real questions will start to come when they hit the court. Can Otto Porter Jr. continue to be a 40 percent three-point shooter? Can he stay healthy?

Can Andre Iguodala be the two-way threat he was during his last stint with the Warriors? All those questions must be answered the right way or this way of avoiding a blockbuster trade may not end up as the best avenue towards contending.

For now, it appears the Warriors don’t believe they needed to make the league-changing trade in order to contend.