Reports emerged last week of the Golden State Warriors' interest in New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi, and unsurprisingly so given they've been left short-handed by the ongoing absence of veteran big man Kristaps Porzingis.
But if Charles Bassey can consistently deliver the type of performances we saw on Monday night against the Phoenix Suns, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Warrior front office can quickly forget about pursuing a Missi trade in the coming weeks.
Charles Bassey could make Warriors forget Yves Missi trade
Bassey played a huge role in the Warriors overcoming a 17-point first half deficit to record a fifth-straight win, recording 19 points and eight rebounds in 23 minutes during the 116-113 victory. The 26-year-old had 10 points, six rebounds and was a +11 in the second half, receiving more opportunity on the back of Draymond Green's ejection early in the third quarter.
It was the type of performance Golden State may desire out of Missi if they were to pull off a trade for the former 21st overall pick. Missi has proven himself to be a talented interior presence on both ends of the floor, including during the Pelicans season opener where he had 13 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks against the Indiana Pacers.
Yet if Bassey can provide similar production and be an athletic force in the paint, why should the Warriors waste their time going after Missi? His rookie contract is more than Bassey's minimum deal, and a trade would require giving up a player and potentially a draft asset.
The same can be said of potential interest in cheaper players at the Milwaukee Bucks. While reports of Golden State reaching out to Milwaukee could focus on veteran big man Myles Turner, fellow centers Kel'el Ware and Jericho Sims could also be part of the equation. Again, are we sure that Ware or Sims would be an upgrade over Bassey?
Warriors should still inquire about Yves Missi as supplementary trade piece
This isn't to say that Missi shouldn't still be a player of interest to the Warriors, but that he should be viewed more as a supplementy piece rather than the primary focus of a trade. With Porzingis' $20 million salary sitting there, Golden State could explore moves for either Trey Murphy III or Herb Jones.
Both Murphy and Jones would play more than Missi in the rotation, particularly come playoff time should Golden State make it that far. Missi could still be a valuable inclusion to a deal, especially when there would be an obvious haggle over how much draft capital would be included.
But if we're talking simply about acquiring Missi solely, Bassey continues to prove that he's capable of giving 80-90% of that production without having to sacrifice a current player and/or further assets.
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