Warriors Rumors: Mikal Bridges Was Eyed in Trade to Upgrade Roster for Steph, Klay

The Golden State Warriors reportedly eyed a trade for an All-Star caliber swingman to improve the roster for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson last season.

Along with attempts to trade for LeBron James, Paul George and Lauri Markkanen, the Warriors looked into bringing former Brooklyn Nets and current New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges to the team, per ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and Kendra Andrews.

"By the time this offseason arrived, Thompson's representatives had proposed at least four contracts to the team," Shelburne and Andrews reported. "Each time, throughout the season, the response from the Warriors was that Thompson and his camp needed to wait while the franchise tried to improve the team in other deals. Most notably, sources said, were efforts to trade for Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, Brooklyn Nets swingman Mikal Bridges, LA Clippers star Paul George and Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen."

The report comes after Thompson's departure to the Dallas Mavericks after 13 seasons with Golden State. The Warriors told Thompson that they wanted to keep him, according to Shelburne and Andrews, but they prioritized other roster upgrades before a new deal with the veteran sharpshooter.

Had Golden State managed to get Bridges on the roster, its fate could have been much different last season. While the Warriors had a strong offense behind Curry, their middle-of-the-pack defense kept them from reaching the playoffs. Per NBA.com, Golden State had a 114.5 defensive rating, which ranked 15th in the league.

Bridges, a former NBA All-Defensive First Team member, averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.6 assists and a steal per game last season and would have provided a major defensive upgrade.

With Thompson's tenure now over, the Warriors will enter a new era next season and look to find their way back into playoff contention with a roster centered around the 36-year-old Curry.