Grade the Trade: Warriors send franchise icon to join LeBron in heartbreaking pitch

Grading the trade for the Warriors

There is a lot to be said about how the Warriors and Klay got to this point, but for this article we'll just acknowledge that the relationship has deteriorated to this point and assume that Klay returning is not on the table.

In that case, the Warriors can either let Klay walk for nothing -- certainly less than ideal, but the most likely outcome if he signs with a cap space team. If he truly wants to play on a West contender, the option for simply signing on at exception-level money -- at the most, $12.89 million in year one -- is available. More likely, however, Thompson will want to make more, and the Warriors will want to get assets back in a trade.

This collection of assets, however, is fairly anemic. Rui Hachimura may not be a positive asset on his contract as a worst Jonathan Kuminga, and it's unlikely the Warriors would feel strongly about adding him to their rotation. The two second-round picks have a fair amount of upside, but that's upside only to pick No. 31.

The Lakers aren't trading for Klay Thompson so much as facilitating his arrival on the Lakers. That's how they justify not including a first-round pick in the offer nor a truly useful player; at least this deal isn't one second and Gabe Vincent.

Could the Dallas Mavericks, LA Clippers or Denver Nuggets put together a better trade package? Could a cap space team blow him away with a large offer? Both of these are very real possibilities for a sign-and-trade to even sniff the finish line. If the Lakers get into the mix, however, this is a fair offer to make for Klay Thompson given his situation. It would only add insult to injury to Warriors' fans, however.

The Warriors would need to consider whether they would be better off not taking back a player like Hachimura and having that cap space open. This is an uninspiring return, and would be such a bitter finale for a transcendent player.