As the Golden State Warriors have publicly sought a solution to their hole at the five-spot this offseason, rumors have swirled heavily around their interest in veteran center Al Horford.
Yet, until that deal is closed, nothing is certain, and a recent mock trade published by Sports Illustrated has the Warriors moving in a surprising direction, acquiring young center Nic Claxton from the Brooklyn Nets in an effort to shore up their roster.
While Horford, 39, would provide a veteran presence to Golden State on both ends of the floor, a move for a younger player could provide them with a boost to their already aging core, therefore making this proposition an intriguing thought at the very least.
Nic Claxton could be the preferable addition for a younger look
As the Warriors entered the offseason, they knew they could not rely on their current center rotation, which at the moment only includes youngsters Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis, to guide them into contention.
While Post showed offensive splashes last season, shooting 40.8% from 3-point range, his defensive game was lacking. Although he will almost certainly take large strides this season in that are of his game, head coach Steve Kerr showed a relative hesitance to give Post the keys to a starting spot throughout his rookie season.
Moreover, after letting veteran Kevon Looney in free agency, Golden State now sorely needs a player that can blend seamlessly into the team's style of off-ball movement.
While Horford, who averaged nine points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists and shot 36.3% from 3-point range last season, would certainly provide this presence for the team, his addition would mean that four of the Warriors' starters would be over the age of 35.
In a recent mock trade published by Sports Illustrated, Golden State would address this issue by instead swapping Buddy Hield and Moses Moody for 26-year-old Nic Claxton.
Last season with the Nets, Claxton averaged 10.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 23.8% from beyond the arc.
While Moody and Hield were both vital pieces to the team last season, both were relatively streaky shooters, and, with the apparently likely addition of De'Anthony Melton, the team could afford to move on from Hield in order to address a more dire need.
Moody, although he took large strides last year on the offensive end, is still largely an unknown commodity, and the Warriors could shore up their rotation in his absence by adding free agent sharpshooter Amir Coffey on a cheap deal.
Yet, Claxton does not necessarily fit into Golden State's current timeline, as he is only in his second year of a four-year, $97 million deal.
While Claxton would not bring the 3-point shooting and veteran experience that Horford would, he could be the preferable addition in order to provide another injection of youth into the team's rotation: a facet they need desperately in order to contend for another title.