The Golden State Warriors were involved in a myriad of trade speculation during the offseason, highlighted by their pursuits of All-Star forwards Paul George and Lauri Markkanen.
Yet the Warriors were also linked to a number of other former All-Stars, including Chicago Bulls pair Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. The Warriors notably turned down a trade offer involving LaVine, with the high-flying guard's contract hard to move for the Bulls during the offseason.
As for Vucevic -- he was specifically asked about a potential move to the Warriors during an interview with Iva Jevtić of B92.sport, responding that "it's really guesswork."
Did the Warriors miss an opportunity not trading for Nikola Vucevic?
It's very difficult to pick holes in Golden State given their impressive start to the season, albeit they suffered a 102-99 defeat to the L.A. Clippers on Monday. But if there is one area that could do with reinforcements, it's the center position where the Warriors have been overwhelmed on a couple of occasions, and where they have little in the way of offensive versatility.
Vucevic may not have made a significant difference on the defensive end, and perhaps he would have actually made things worse. But his offense skillset is something Golden State could have utilized, giving them a spacing threat they were initially after with Markkanen.
After a disappointing year shooting the basketball last season, Vucevic has rediscovered his stroke and with it his offensive game. The 2x All-Star punctuated his impressive start with a huge outing against Pistons in Detroit on Monday, going for 29 points, 12 rebounds and three assists on 11-of-18 shooting including 6-of-8 from 3-point range.
Vucevic is averaging 20.7 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists so far this season, shooting 59.4% from the floor and a scorching 48.4% from 3-point range on 4.3 attempts per game. The 34-year-old may not have put up that scoring average on the Warriors, but the efficiency is eye-popping for anyone let alone from the center position.
It's easy to say that Golden State could or should have acquired Vucevic during the offseason, yet it's much more difficult to work out what the trade would have actually entailed. The Montenegrin is making $20 million this season, meaning the Warriors would have to include a combination of role players that would lessen their depth.
Chicago would probably also want some form of draft compensation -- is a combination of Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Lindy Waters III and a draft pick worth it from a Golden State standpoint? It's questionable even with Vucevic's strong start to the season.