Despite being the most successful NBA franchise over the past decade, the Golden State Warriors have accrued their four recent NBA championships without the need for an All-Star level big man.
With the greatest shooting backcourt of all-time in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and an all-time great defender in Draymond Green, the Warriors have prioritized role-playing big men that often do the little things without reward.
What would the Golden State Warriors look like with an All-Star level center playing alongside the splash brothers?
No one has epitomized that more than Kevon Looney over recent seasons, with the 27-year-old developing into a tireless workhorse capable of setting screens, finding teammates, rebounding at a high rate, and being a versatile defender.
Looney is just another of the valuable big men that Golden State have had over the last decade, albeit slightly more important with this iteration of the team. He’s taken over the mantle that Andrew Bogut had for years, with a sprinkle of other impactful centers like Zaza Pachulia, Festus Ezeli, Mo Speights, David West and Javale McGee.
The closest the Warriors have come to having a true All-Star level center was when they astonishingly signed DeMarcus Cousins in 2018. The then 27-year-old was coming off four-straight All-Star appearances, but was also coming off a devastating torn achilles injury the year prior.
After making his debut for the team in January 2019, Cousins put up some decent numbers but never had the impact he or the team would have liked. His career has spiralled downward since then, to the point he’s now completely out of the league.
For all the consistency and impact that Looney has had, the idea of an All-Star level big man on the Warriors has always been intriguing. They hoped they’d be able to develop their own with James Wiseman, yet that failed to pan about before his departure less than three years after being taken with the second overall pick.
Could the Warriors make a move for an All-Star center in the next 12 months? What about not only an All-Star, but league MVP Joel Embiid? In a recent article, Bleacher Report have proposed some potential trade offers for the 29-year-old should he want out of the storm that is the Philadelphia 76ers right now.
Golden State has been included as one of the teams that could make an offer, so let’s dive into what that may potentially look like: