The Golden State Warriors sent away their prime trade assets in their deal for Kristaps Porzingis at the deadline.
It was, in and of itself, a worthy gamble. The Warriors have long needed a rim-protecting, floor-stretching center to pair with Stephen Curry. As long as they could keep Porzingis healthy and re-sign him to a cheaper contract this offseason, it was worth moving off Jonathan Kuminga at his deflated trade value.
They've accomplished that goal only partially. Porzingis played in 15 games after his arrival to Golden State, averaging 16.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 43.3% from the field. His return this offseason remains in doubt. Of course, his acquisition didn't come at the price of any draft capital, and that's a bonus.
But Jared McCain, who was traded for a first-round pick and a trio of second-rounders to the Oklahoma City Thunder, continues to shoot the lights out for his new team. What once seemed like a far-off missed opportunity has become acutely painful for the Warriors.
Would it have been wise to deal that amount of capital for McCain? That's uncertain. But it's difficult not to think about what could've been if the Warriors had barked up that tree instead.
The Jared McCain trade only gets more painful for the Warriors as he continues to excel
At the time of the trade, the Houston Rockets were virtually locked into a playoff spot. At worst, the first-round pick Oklahoma City moved off of would have been 19th or 20th overall. Although the Warriors weren't a guaranteed lottery team, their pick would have been much more valuable. It's now landed at 11th overall, while Houston's pick sits at 22nd.
They could've, realistically, paired their first-round pick for this season with one or two of their future second-round picks and at least been in the running for McCain. Philadelphia also reportedly had interest in Brandin Podziemski prior to the trade deadline, which could have helped facilitate a deal that included less draft capital.
Instead, McCain has now joined the top team in the Western Conference, and he's playing a major role for them as they vie for a spot in the NBA Finals. McCain didn't play a major role in their series against the Phoenix Suns. But across his last eight games, McCain has averaged 11.6 points and shot 39.1% from 3-point range. On a team that needs help from beyond the arc, McCain has been a playoff revelation.
There's certainly some defensive deficiencies to be wary of with McCain, and his performance in his last two games has not been especially inspiring. But it's clear that McCain will be a vital part of the Thunder's future, and it's hard to imagine that he wouldn't have been the same thing for Golden State if they had gotten involved in trade discussions for the young guard.
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