Grade the Trade: Warriors give up 3x champ, former lottery pick for skilled big in proposed deal
The Warriors should make this trade if presented with the opportunity
As difficult as it would be to give up a cherished franchise piece in Looney, and a player in Moody who the Warriors invested the 14th pick in three years ago, this would be a winning trade based on how the past season went for the respective players.
Looney had a career-best year in 2022-23, yet saw a steep decline this season that saw him axed from the starting lineup and then out of the rotation completely as rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis ascended into a prominent role. Moody showed promising signs and took another step in his third season, but has yet to garner full trust from Steve Kerr who continues to limit the 21-year-old's playing opportunity.
The reality is that, in Portis, the Warriors would be moving two fringe rotation players for a bona fide sixth man who's averaged over 26 minutes per game across the last three seasons. The 29-year-old has finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting in each of the last two years, and would provide further scoring punch to the Golden State offense off the bench.
Portis averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, shooting an efficient 50.8% from the floor and 40.7% on three attempts from beyond the arc per game. The nine-year veteran's defense leaves more to be desired, but playing alongside Green could help alleviate that issue. The extra spacing with Portis could allow Jonathan Kuminga to spend more time at the three, an element that presents as a key question mark for thw Warriors heading into next season.
Summary:
This is not the sole move the Warriors need to make this offseason, with Portis unlikely to be enough of a difference-maker to push the franchise back into a guaranteed playoff position. It does provide a reasonable upgrade though at a price that allows them to make a more substantial trade with all their key assets and future first-round picks in tact.