Revelation on Warriors ambitious trade plans only adds salt to wound

The Golden State Warriors had a busy offseason, having lost franchise legend Klay Thompson while bringing in three notable rotation players in De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield.

Yet the franchise's aspirations to add another All-Star was also firmly front of mind, only to miss out on then L.A Clippers star Paul George prior to free agency, and Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen just only a month later.

The Warriors tried to land both Paul George and Lauri Markkanen

There's been a notion that the Warriors only turned their attention to Markkanen after missing out on George, but in an insightful report for The Athletic on Tuesday, Anthony Slater confirmed that they were actually hoping to land both All-Stars in what would have been a seismic offseason splash.

"The Warriors wanted both wings — believing George’s opt-out threat would allow them to protect the required assets to entice Utah Jazz CEO Danny Ainge, and Markkanen’s reasonable $18 million returning salary could make the financials work," Slater wrote.

As the Warriors season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers approaches on Wednesday, the failure to trade for either George or Markkanen during the summer had faded into a memory. But this report has brought it back into the spotlight and only adds further salt to the wound of not getting either player.

Can you imagine if Golden State had got both? The way it would have shifted the outlook on this team and its championship hopes? The Warriors would have likely catapulted straight back into contention within a deep Western Conference.

While it was truly ambitious, it was at least realistic from a financial point of view. Golden State was expected to use Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins' salaries to match George's contract, only for the L.A. Clippers to deny them which left the 9x All-Star to opt out and join the Philadelphia 76ers in free agency.

They would have had to pour out much of their assets for Markkanen, and perhaps they would have been more willing to do so with George already in pocket. But the Finnish forward was only making $18 million before he renegotiated and extended his deal with the Jazz -- a mark the Warriors easily could have reached with a combination of a number of players.

Golden State certainly wouldn't have the depth they have now entering the season, but they could have had a quartet of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, George and Markkanen. That may have been enough to give them a genuine chance for another title, regardless of how Mike Dunleavy Jr. filled out the remainder of the roster.

Alas, it wasn't to be. Now the idea of having neither George or Markkanen stings a little more, and the thought of what could have been might linger a little longer, particularly if the Warriors can't start the season in a similar vein to their preseason form.