Completing a three-team trade is never easy, but the teams have enough mid-tier salaries and general assets to make a deal viable. Here's how it would look:
Golden State Warriors Receive: Lauri Markkanen, Jordan Clarkson
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: Andrew Wiggins, 2031 Second-Round Pick (Warriors)
Utah Jazz Receive: Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Moses Moody, 2026 and 2028 First-Round Picks (Warriors) 2025, 2027, 2029, 2031 First-Round Pick Swaps (Warriors), Lottery Protected 2031 First-Round Pick (Cavaliers)
There's a lot going on here so let's view it from the perspective of each team and their side of the transaction, starting with the Cavaliers:
Would the Cleveland Cavaliers make this trade?
Cleveland could certainly agree to this trade depending on their desperation to get a starting calibre small forward, along with their optimism of Wiggins returning to somewhere in the realm of his 2022-23 best.
The major risk is here is the Canadian's contract, with three years and just under $85 million still owing. That's a lot given the Cavaliers have just given Donovan Mitchell an extension, are about to do the same with Evan Mobley, and already have Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen on big contracts as well.
It would be a lot to spend on a starting five, but perhaps they can talk themselves into it as a further commitment to Mitchell. The trade itself sees Cleveland give up a lottery protected first-round pick for a second-rounder in the same draft, with that the cost of upgrading from LeVert and Niang to Wiggins.
Even despite the 29-year-old's career-worst year with the Warriors last season, make no mistake that it would be an upgrade both from a talent and fit standpoint. The Cavaliers need someone who can guard the opposition's best perimeter player and stick an open three, at least more so than a shot-creator in LeVert given they already have Mitchell and Garland.
Niang was seen as a valuable pick up last offseason but had a disappointing first year in Cleveland. Despite the team's injury issues in the playoffs, the former Jazz forward played more than nine minutes just twice over the team's final eight games, including to DNP's.
It's not a deal without risk for the Cavaliers, particularly given the Jazz already own many of their future picks following the Mitchell trade. Alas, they might be one of the few teams who could forseeably give up a lottery protected selection for Wiggins whom they originally drafted in 2014.
How about from Utah's perspective?