The rebuilding team Warriors could turn to if Lauri Markkanen trade falls over

The Golden State Warriors appear firmly focused on trying to add Lauri Markkanen over the next few weeks, yet there remains some likelihood that Danny Ainge and the Utah Jazz will choose to retain and extend their 2023 All-Star.

So what if the Warriors fail to add the seven-foot forward, having also missed 9x All-Star Paul George before that? Does the franchise wait and see what else might become available, or do they immediately turn to other options known to be available on the trade market?

The Brooklyn Nets path to a full-blown rebuild could provide a trade opportunity for the Golden State Warriors?

Utah's decision on Markkanen reflects whether or not they'll commit to a full-scale rebuild, but a team that's already in that position is the Brooklyn Nets after they traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks last month.

Having regained access to their own first-round picks via another trade with the Houston Rockets, the Nets are ready to embrace a tanking season. They still have valuable players on their roster though, leading to the idea that more transactions could be made before the start of next season.

Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith headline the list of players Brooklyn could look to trade, with Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report suggesting last week that Golden State may be able to acquire both in a deal revolving around Andrew Wiggins' contract.

The proposed deal would see the Warriors give up Wiggins, Kevon Looney, a future first-round pick and "a second tier prospect" for Johnson and Finney-Smith. The former would add some needed shooting to the front court, having drilled 39.2% of his 5.7 attempts per game from beyond the arc in his career.

Finney-Smith would bring the defensive element Golden State would lose in Wiggins, having also shot in excess of 39% from three in two of his previous seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. The major issue is that neither are stars by any means and would simply add to the rotation depth the roster already has in droves.

It's the sort of trade that would suggest the Warriors are simply eager to get off Wiggins' contract, rather than actually improve the team in any meaningful way. Instead of giving up draft capital to add two more role players, they'd be better off hoping the 2022 All-Star can return to somewhere near his best form.

Johnson and Finney-Smith will likely be valuable additions to a team or two over the next year, but the Warriors are in the market for high-end talent rather than players that would add further rotation headaches for Steve Kerr.