The Golden State Warriors 114-98 defeat against the Miami Heat without Jimmy Butler on Tuesday night gave the franchise another reminder that they are missing a go-to scoring option next to four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry.
Curry’s 31 points and eight three-pointers against Miami only led the team so far, as the rest of the group shot a putrid 18.1% on 33 attempts from distance.
Golden State’s 28.0% shooting from deep as a collective in a disappointing loss dropped their record to 18-18, with the franchise now fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament as the Western Conference’s No. 9 seed.
Due to these recent events, the Warriors’ general manager Mike Dunleavy could make a desperate attempt to bring some kind of offensive consistency back to the team’s rotation outside of Curry.
In fact, he may contact the Milwaukee Bucks to inquire about trading for their three-time All-Star and NBA champion forward Khris Middleton.
When healthy, Middleton has been a pillar of consistency for Milwaukee, averaging 17.2 points and shooting 38.9% from deep in his 12 seasons with the organization.
The 6-foot-7 versatile scoring forward has also proven to become a star in the postseason, as his 24.0 points and 6.3 rebounds in the 2021 NBA Finals helped lead the Bucks to their second title in franchise history.
At 33 years old, Middleton is averaging 12.3 points while connecting on 38.5% of his three-point attempts while dealing with nagging injuries this season.
The talented forward recently made headlines after it was revealed that Milwaukee had demoted the star, asking Middleton to come off of the bench until further notice. In turn, this could lead to the disgruntled star requesting a trade.
In exchange for Middleton, Golden State would be able to offer a bevy of young prospects along with draft compensation, including a sophomore guard that surprised many as an All-Rookie First Team selection in 2023-24, Brandin Podziemski.
Podziemski is an interesting player to analyze, as his defensive impact has increased dramatically at the cost of his offensive efficiency.
After leading the entire NBA in charges drawn as a rookie with 38 last season, Podziemski resides at the top of the leaderboards once again, currently in a tie for fourth place with 12 total charges taken in 2024-25.
Unfortunately, his 38.5% three-point shooting as a rookie has taken a steep decline to 29.5% in his sophomore campaign.
Though he continues to struggle, Milwaukee could envision Podziemski as an integral part of a winning culture due to his relentless hustle and defensive skill.
A trade to land Middleton in Golden State would see the Warriors give up Podziemski, Moses Moody and other prospects along with first-round draft capital, with Jonathan Kuminga likely not being included in discussions.
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