Warriors’ Jordan Poole would be a must-add to any Kevin Durant trade
We’ve started to get a glimpse of what the Brooklyn Nets may require in a trade for former MVP Kevin Durant. Let’s just say the asking price is far from cheap and likely will exclude any offer the Warriors present.
They want a plethora of picks which was always obvious, and on top of that, they want All-Star-caliber players. Getting multiple of both along with prospects is something most teams aren’t willing to part ways with, even for the star forward.
The Golden State Warriors could trade for All-Star forward Kevin Durant, but in any deal, rising star Jordan Poole would have to be included.
Per The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski (subscription required), four draft picks, Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, who just received a massive four-year contract extension. It doesn’t seem like Minnesota is in a rush to get the deal done.
Edwards is a rising star who averaged 21.3 points per game and improved his efficiency as well. The duo helped lead the Wolves to a playoff berth and then a hard-fought series with the No. 2-seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
As for what a trade sending Durant back to the Bay Area may look like, Poole would be just a starting point.
Poole, like Edwards to a lesser extent, has superstar upside. He averaged over 25 points per game over the last several weeks of the season, carrying the load with two-time MVP Stephen Curry sidelined.
What makes the trade unlikely is that Poole would clearly be just a starting point. James Wiseman and Jonathan Kuminga along with Andrew Wiggins and picks would likely do the trick, but it seems extremely doubtful the Warriors even consider that.
At the same time, the argument can be made they would, with relative ease, win the next two NBA Finals and solidify Curry as a historically-great champion.
Nonetheless, the three assets and Wiggins along with picks aren’t going to be on the table, and it doesn’t sound like KAT, Ant, and picks were either or more would’ve come out on the proposal by now.
If there is a way to get a deal for Golden State, it starts with rising stars, and that includes Kuminga and Poole.
To note, the 23-year-old Poole averaged 18.5 points per game last season and has improved his scoring by almost half of the prior season’s average in each of his three seasons. The young guard should continue to see that explosive growth next season.
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For all realistic purposes, expect him to stay in the Bay Area.