3 stars the Golden State Warriors should have traded for last offseason

After a disappointing first half of the season, the Golden State Warriors appear headed for the Play-In Tournament and will likely need to win two elimination games simply to make the playoffs.

The Warrior young players have impressed and the team has found far greater consistency over the last couple of months, but this is still not a position the franchise expected to be in after a second-round elimination last season.

The Golden State Warriors current position could have been avoided had they traded for one of three players moved in the last nine months

While Golden State didn't make a move ahead of February's trade deadline, the same can't be said for the offseason where they made a blockbuster move for Chris Paul. The 12-time All-Star has played well for the Warriors, yet clearly hasn't had the desired result as the franchise sits 10th in the Western Conference with a 35-32 record.

Golden State were obviously eager to move on from Jordan Poole in the offseason, choosing to get out from under the young guard's contract before it became one of the worst in the league. There was also the issue of Poole's relationship with Draymond Green, along with the 24-year-old's uninspiring play during the postseason.

But could the Warriors have extracted more value than acquiring Paul -- a player who was almost assuredly going to be a bench player? While that deal looks good in hindsight, Poole had far greater value in June than what he does right now.

Golden State should have explored a deal for a more impactful player than Paul, even if it meant giving up further assets to make it happen. Let's have a look at three gettable players the Warriors could have targeted during the offseason, each of which would have significantly helped in avoiding their current plight: