The Golden State Warriors have been surprisingly quiet so far this NBA offseason in terms of acquisition, replacing Klay Thompson with a combination of smaller signings like Kyle Anderson and Buddy Hield so far to help supplement Stephen Curry. With Curry entering his age 37 season, pressure is on the Warriors' front office to make a much bigger splash before the 2024-25 campaign gets underway.
One of the biggest names still theoretically on the trade market is that of Utah Jazz small forward Lauri Markkanen, who could add shooting and size to any number of contenders that are still looking to make a major move this offseason. Understandably, Markkanen has been heavily linked to the Warriors in recent weeks, particularly after the departure of Thompson and all of the firepower that left with him to Dallas.
Now, a new update has shed some light on what exactly the Warriors' offer could potentially look like to Danny Ainge and the Jazz brass.
“The Warriors only have the ability to offer two outright first-round picks for Markkaken, which they have done to this point, sources said,” reported Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. “Any scenario in which the Dubs would have a chance at landing Markkanen would more than likely require a third team, as Golden State would be attempting to get the Jazz another draft pick or two in a proposal that would include former All-Star wing Andrew Wiggins. Moses Moody, pick swaps, and the expiring contracts of Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II are other assets the Warriors have to offer in trade talks at this time.”
Andrew Wiggins of course was one of the heroes of the Warriors' 2022 championship run, playing excellent defense against Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and contributing on the offensive end as well, but the former number one overall draft pick has seen a steady decline in the two seasons since then, which would make it a lot less difficult of a pill to swallow if the Warriors were to have to move on from him.
What would the Warriors look like with Lauri Markkanen?
If the Warriors were able to swing a trade for Markkanen while retaining young rising wing Jonathan Kuminga, they would have a lineup featuring lots of size and versatility on both ends of the court, although starting Kuminga at the two guard spot would raise concerns about the amount of shooting in the lineup around Curry.
Conversely, the Warriors could choose to go ultra small, with someone like Moses Moody at the two spot and sliding Draymond Green into the center position, where he has operated in small stints before as part of the notorious “Death Lineup” that plagued the NBA in the mid-2010s. However, while the Warriors' lineup would be solid in this scenario, it would still be a far cry from the Kevin Durant-led juggernaut that dominated the league back in those days.
In any case, the pressure is certainly on Mike Dunleavy and company to pull a rabbit out of the hat before the season gets underway in October.
Follow Us
Subscribe
