The Golden State Warriors’ recent disappointing 114-98 defeat at the hands of the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat on Tuesday night gave the team yet another cruel reminder as to why they sit at 18-18 and possess the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.
Golden State simply does not have the size to compete against the league’s best center talent.
Even though four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry scored a game-high 31 points and connected on eight three-pointers, Miami’s three-time All-Star center Bam Adebayo feasted against the Warriors’ small lineups all night long.
The 27-year-old is known more for his defensive abilities, but that didn’t stop him from contributing 19 points, nine rebounds and five assists while shooting 64.2% from the floor.
In an effort to resolve these issues, recent reports indicate that Golden State’s general manager Mike Dunleavy may gather the front offices of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards to part ways with three-time NBA champion Kevon Looney and elite defensive guard Gary Payton II.
Through dealing their trusted veterans, they’d acquire their desperately needed frontcourt presence from the Wizards and Hornets in the form of 32-year-old Jonas Valančiūnas and 27-year-old Nick Richards.
“If the Warriors are going to improve, they need to address their frontcourt. That is why Richards would be a solid, cheap addition for them,” ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel wrote Wednesday evening.
“However, Richards does not stretch the floor like veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas, another player the Dubs have checked in on this season. Golden State was rumored to have interest in Valanciunas when he was a free agent over the summer, and now he is available on the trade market for any team willing to give draft picks to Washington.”
“To even think about bringing in the 32-year-old center, the Warriors would have to be willing to part ways with Payton due to financial restraints. By giving up Looney and Payton in this scenario, Golden State would remain below their hard cap and address their frontcourt situation next to Draymond.”
In a proposed deal, Golden State would ship Looney and Payton II to the Hornets and Thunder, respectively. Through this trade, Oklahoma City’s No. 1 defense would gain yet another pest to guard an opposing team’s best player on any given night.
As for Washington and Charlotte, their job is to facilitate the trade and receive plenty of second-round draft capital for doing so.
In season No. 13, Valančiūnas is averaging 11.9 points and 7.9 rebounds in only 20.0 minutes. As for Richards, he’s contributing 9.2 points to go along with 7.2 rebounds and a career-best 1.3 blocked shots.
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