The Warriors were supposed to switch to debutant pivot James Wiseman and / or the first three Minnesota Timberwolves protégés in the first round of 2021 on one condition.
They would have to acquire a “generation” superstar, Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Monday, citing a team source.
“Golden State knows that any discussion of an All-Star player will start with the other team asking for one or both of the franchise’s biggest assets outside of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green: Minnesota’s first 2021 picks and from the rookie center James Wiseman, “wrote Letourneau on Monday.
“But according to a team source, the Warriors would ‘almost definitely’ not give up on the Timberwolves or Wiseman selection unless they received someone from a generation like Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo.”
Citing league sources, Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer reported on Monday that the Warriors are interested in Victor Oladipo ahead of the negotiation deadline later this month. Warriors general manager and president of basketball operations, Bob Myers, told the NBC Sports Bay Area last week that the Warriors will not give up a valuable asset for a short-term push. Oladipo, 28, is months away from becoming an unrestricted free agent.
“However, just because Golden State likes a multipurpose All-Star that fits the mindset of winning now, it does not mean that it is willing to mortgage its future to perhaps win a post-season series,” wrote Letourneau. “As is always the case with potential trade scenarios, the Warriors would have to see what they would need to give up for Oladipo. Breaking out of a package that would undermine their chances of remaining relevant in the long run would almost certainly be a conversation-end.”
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The Warriors (19-18) are ninth in the Western Conference towards the second half of the season, still three games away from the Portland Trail Blazers (21-14). Abandoning Wiseman or the 2021 choice of T-Wolves for a player like Oladipo may not touch the playoffs needle, considering that the first four seeds of the Western Conference are Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers. It may not even help Golden State move up the ranks next season, especially if Oladipo doesn’t stay with the Warriors.
Acquiring someone like Embiid or Antetokounmpo would check both boxes, but none of these All-NBA players will be available in a trade anytime soon. And if someone at that level does becoming available, Wiseman and choice are probably just the starting point for any potential business.
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