Despite officially trading for Dennis Schroder just seven days ago, the Golden State Warriors are expected to remain aggressive in talks prior to the February 6 deadline.
The Warriors have the flexibility to go out and make almost any kind of move, having been linked to role players making less than $15 million per year all the way up to 6x All-Star Jimmy Butler who's making $48.8 million per season.
Warriors land 2x All-Star Nikola Vucevic in 3-team proposed trade
He may not be garnering the same level of speculation as Butler, but Nikola Vucevic is another former All-Star who has been linked to Golden State in recent weeks. While Trayce Jackson-Davis had a season-best performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, the Warriors' center situation is still a major question mark nearly a third of the way through the season.
Golden State could revolutionize their big man department by trading for the offensively skilled Vucevic to complement their current front court rotation. Here's how a trade could go down to bring the 2x All-Star to the Bay, with the Detroit Pistons helping as the third team to broker a deal between the Warriors and Chicago Bulls.
Would the Pistons do the trade?
Detroit give up two second-round picks to take a gamble on Moses Moody who's been criminally under-utilized during his time with the Warriors. This seems like reasonable value for the Pistons who get someone whose shot 36.2% from 3-point range on his career and who still projects as a long-term 3-and-D rotation player.
The only downside is that Detroit do sacrifice some of their future cap space, with Golden State having given Moody a three-year, $37 million rookie extension just prior to the season. They may also want to use their cap space before the deadline to take on a bad contract and actually acquire picks as a salary dump. Still, you could see the Pistons taking the risk and providing the sort of playing opportunity Moody has never been afforded with the Warriors.
Would the Bulls do the trade?
The first issue Chicago will have is not getting a first-round pick, which is reportedly what they want according to NBA insider Marc Stein last week. Wanting that and getting that are two different things though, even if it looks slightly more realistic with Vucevic having posted an impressive 20.9 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists on 58.4% shooting from the floor and 46.5% from 3-point range.
Three second-round picks isn't the worst haul, not to mention the Bulls get two expiring contracts which will allow them to reset their books in the offseason. This will really come down to how motivated Chicago are to enter a full blown rebuild, having seen the Brooklyn Nets sell low on Schroder just to ensure they give themselves the best chance at the draft lottery.
Would the Warriors do the trade?
The time has come for Golden State to put a legitimate scorer next to Draymond Green in the front court, at least without sacrificing size and rebounding in the form of a small-ball unit. The Warriors need something different to Jackson-Davis and Kevon Looney, with too many offensive limitations with one of them alongside Green.
Vucevic would bring some defensive concerns, but the risk would be worth bringing some firepower to a Golden State offense that currently ranks 16th in the league. He would provide a dangerous pick-and-roll/pick-and-pop threat with Schroder and Curry, giving
The downside is that if Vucevic's defense does prove very problematic, then he's still on the books for another $21.5 million next season. Even then it should be reasonably moveable as an expiring contract.
Summary:
This is a fairly low-risk move for the Warriors that comes with considerable upside. Trading for Vucevic right now would essentially eliminate them from making a more substantial move for a star before the deadline, but trading for Jimmy Butler, LeBron James or another $40+ million player would be difficult regardless.
Golden State would then have the opportunity to reassess and still have assets to make a move during the offseason, not to mention they could also try to bring Looney and/or Gary Payton II back as free agents.