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Warriors 'Very Unlikely' to Make Major Trade amid Simmons, Beal Rumors, per Joe Lacob
July 31, 2021
The Golden State Warriors have been at the center of nearly every trade rumor for the NBA's top players this offseason, but team governor Joe Lacob doesn't see that speculation amounting to anything.
"It’s very unlikely, I’ve said that we’re not going to trade for anybody that people are expecting," Lacob told Anthony Slater of The Athletic. "Very unlikely. It’s not impossible. But if it was going to be somebody, it was going to be somebody really great. It was going to be a big trade. It’s unlikely."
Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic previously reported Bradley Beal is on "top of the offseason wishlist" for the Warriors, while Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported the team has discussed a deal for the 76ers' Ben Simmons.
Slater also reported the team had internal discussions on Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard.
The interest in another star could make sense after the team failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row. Stephen Curry excelled last year with a career-high 32.0 points per game on his way to a second scoring title, but there wasn't enough help around him to compete with the best teams in the NBA.
Even if Klay Thompson returns to full strength in 2021-22, it might not be enough for Golden State to return to its previous level of perennial title contender.
With promising young players like James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the Warriors could build a good enough trade package to land another player who can help right away. Lacob, however, appears happy with the current lineup.
"I know this isn’t popular with a lot of people," Lacob said. "They think we ought to go get the next star. We already have the stars."
Curry, Thompson and Draymond Green were the core of the Warriors' in 2015 before Kevin Durant arrived, providing some hope for a return to prominence when the trio is finally healthy at the same time. Andrew Wiggins and Jordan Poole should also provide valuable scoring depth.
If Wiseman, Kuminga and Moody can step up in the rotation, Golden State could be a team to watch next season.