Speculation is again mounting on the potential of the Golden State Warriors trading for Anthony Davis in order to entice LeBron James into signing as a free agent, but a blockbuster move for the former championship teammates comes with obvious red flags that might turn the front office away.
The obvious red flag is the creation of an even older, more injury-prone team than what the Warriors already have, yet there's other more nuanced issues that make this dream one that could turn into a nightmare.
Warriors' audacious LeBron-AD pairing carries multiple risks
Beyond the injury and health risks, Golden State would be giving a potentially dangerous level of control to Rich Paul and Klutch Sports who manage James, Davis, Draymond Green and also young wing Moses Moody.
Is that something Joe Lacob, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office wants, particularly when a Davis trade would likely have to come with a big new contract extension that may be more risky than the trade itself?
Perhaps the biggest question the Warriors have to ask themselves is whether this team actually makes sense on the court? Sure, adding James and Davis would give them perhaps the most star-studden team in NBA history, but this isn't fantasy basketball.
Having James, Davis and Green as three of your key players would bring a distinct lack of spacing, with all three shooting less than 33% from 3-point range last season. That's only made worse when Golden State's primary shooting guards, Brandin Podziemski and De'Anthony Melton, are hardly elite 3-point shooters themselves.
In fact, the Warriors could be left with Stephen Curry as their only elite shooter in the rotation. As much as the two-time MVP can often make up for spacing concerns, it's even more pressure to put on a 38-year-old Curry.
Warriors should still pursue LeBron-AD pairing despite obvious risks
Acquiring James and Davis wouldn't make Golden State a perfect team, nor should it unless you're forking out all your draft capital in a trade. It would however make the Warriors far more interesting, and most importantly give them much greater upside than what the current roster possesses.
It might be a different story if Jimmy Butler wasn't injured, but that's not the reality of this situation. The Warriors aren't good enough to wait around and hold the fort until he returns, and even then there's question marks on how a 37-year-old will look following a major knee injury.
There's question marks on Davis too, but the alternative without he and James is too underwhelming to suggest they should be passing up on the opportunity of landing the star duo.
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