Warriors Trade Targets to Avoid at 2021 NBA Deadline
The Golden State Warriors can dare to dream as large as they would like between now and the March 25 NBA trade deadline.
They're holding on to two of the Association's top trade chips: rookie James Wiseman, the 2020 No. 2 overall pick, and a top-three protected 2021 first-rounder owed by the bottom-feeding Minnesota Timberwolves. Tack on the $9.3 million disabled player exception granted to them after Klay Thompson's Achilles tear, and there are multiple avenues to chase both elite talents and reliable role players.
With Stephen Curry cooking up some MVP-caliber numbers, Golden State might feel compelled to give its star guard more assistance. While Thompson's injury effectively dashed any championship dreams, the Dubs could conceivably eye a path to the postseason that bypasses the play-in tournament.
The Warriors would be wise to proceed with caution, though. Just because they can afford to spend big, doesn't mean they should chase everyone on the market. These three players should be left out of any trade plans.
LaMarcus Aldridge, San Antonio Spurs
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There was some preseason chatter about the Warriors having interest in LaMarcus Aldridge, possibly in a deal involving the No. 2 pick. It was a laughable notion then, and while the price tag has presumably dropped since, Golden State should still stay away from the former All-Star big man.
The 35-year-old appears to have lost several steps to Father Time. Before being shut down by a hip injury—a red-flag raiser for any aging player—he was averaging the fewest rebounds of his career (4.3) and fewest points since his rookie season (14.1).
At this point, he's a liability at the defensive end. Even his late-career shift to the center spot only provides him so much protection. With bigs growing increasingly comfortable taking aim from distance, modern centers need to cover a ton of ground defensively. Aldridge doesn't display the necessary zip to do so. As The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor put it, "[Aldridge's] effort on closeouts is abysmal."
The Warriors wouldn't get enough out of Aldridge's offense to compensate for the drawbacks defensively. His post-ups would slow down the offense, his three-ball isn't quite sharp enough to draw out defenders (35.8 percent on moderate volume) and his penchant for long twos (34.7 percent of his shots have come between 16 feet from the basket to the three-point arc) puts a cap on his efficiency.
Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers
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Kevin Love was once a prominent target of the Warriors, so much so that Klay Thompson was discussed as a possible sacrifice, as Marc Stein reported for ESPN in 2014.
But, in NBA terms, that was almost a lifetime ago. Now, the only thing about Love that reads like star-quality is his salary: $31.3 million this season, $31.3 million next season, $28.9 million for 2022-23. That's an enormous amount of money for someone who can't rise above complementary levels when he plays—something he's only done twice this season.
The money alone should close the door to any Love deals. For the Warriors to make it work, they'd have to send back almost equal salary, which would force the sacrifice of one of Stephen Curry (LOL), Klay Thompson (nope), Andrew Wiggins (younger and more flexible at both ends) and Draymond Green (hard pass).
Shifting the focus solely on the court does little to raise the desirability for Love. Sure, his long-range shooting and outlet passing might contribute some fun moments in this offense, but defensively he might give back everything he gets and then some. The Warriors would be better served—on both the basketball court and the budget sheet—leaving their center rotation intact and those Love dreams in the distant past.
JaVale McGee, Cleveland Cavaliers
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For fans who pass the time between Curry highlights by reminiscing about the Dubs' dynastic days of old, they might see some value in reuniting with JaVale McGee.
For those who can't believe the club's bad luck with big man injuries—Marquese Chriss, Kevon Looney and James Wiseman are all on the shelf—they might have an eye on McGee, too.
But the best-case scenario for McGee is nothing beyond a minimal role. He didn't average 10 minutes in either of his two seasons with Golden State. He could momentarily bump that number if he landed with the Warriors soon by virtue of their rash of injuries, but on a full-strength squad, he might not even hit the hardwood.
Looney is more reliable. Wiseman is more dynamic. Eric Paschall packs a much heavier scoring punch. Not to mention, Golden State's center rotation would inevitably shrink come playoff time as coach Steve Kerr leans into the small-ball lineups anchored by Draymond Green. McGee will cost some kind of asset to get him away from the Cleveland Cavaliers, and the potential prize wouldn't justify the price.
All stats courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball Reference unless otherwise noted.
