Golden State Warriors move 3x champion for versatile big man in proposed trade

The NBA trade deadline may have come and gone a month ago, but that hasn't stopped speculation on what franchises may do in the offseason, or simply what they'd do now if they had the chance. The Golden State Warriors stood pat at the deadline, so would that change now in hindsight?

A proposed trade sees the Golden State Warriors move a much-loved player for a versatile big man in the Eastern Conference

In evaluating one trade every team wish they could make right now, Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley believes the Warriors could still do with an upgrade at the center position despite their multitude of options.

That view has some merit. While Draymond Green is undoubtedly Golden State's primary five-man right now, head coach Steve Kerr could certainly do with a more genuine center option that has more experience than Trayce Jackson-Davis and is in better form than Kevon Looney.

With that in mind, Buckley suggests that were they able to, the Warriors should send out Looney and future draft capital to the Orlando Magic for Mo Wagner. Here's how the deal would look:

"Adding a rotation reserve like Wagner wouldn't totally change that, but his 6'11", 245-pound frame would give them a different dimension. In a way, he blends together some of the best qualities of their current centers."

- Zach Buckley

Is Wagner actually a better player than Looney or Jackson-Davis? Perhaps he is, but it's debatable enough for the trade to be considered unfulfilling. Wagner is also a completely different player to that pair, and he certainly isn't bringing the same athletic presence Jackson-Davis has began bringing on both ends of the floor.

What the 26-year-old would bring is a versatile offensive skillset, providing an upgrade to Dario Saric who has now found himself out of the Golden State rotation. Wagner is averaging 11.3 points and 4.6 rebounds this season, shooting nearly 60% from the floor while adding 1.2 assists per game.

With Jackson-Davis developing into a real player for the now and the future, any acquisition of another big needs to be for a guaranteed upgrade that's essentially a starting caliber player. Wagner simply isn't that, meaning this deal simply wouldn't be worth it even if the actual value is about right.