NBA Draft 2011: 3 Reasons for the Golden State Warriors to Trade Up
I haven't had this much fun watching the NBA playoffs since 2007 when the Golden State Warriors upset the Dallas Mavericks.
With every matchup seemingly competitive, I can't help but think that if the Warriors made one more move (or more), they could be the ones tied 2-2 or up 3-1 against a top seed.
I'm either too optimistic or a little crazy, possibly a little of both, but here we are, looking forward to June 23rd and hoping that the guy the Warriors select will put them over the top.
Look, I know that the draft is two months away and there is no new CBA agreement in place when the season ends. There might not even be a season next year and the Warriors will have to get lucky and have the ping-pong balls bounce their way into a top three selection (at least the first three).
But draft talk is really all Warriors fans have other than watching other teams play in the playoffs.
So if/when the Warriors end up drafting at No. 11, here are three reasons why I think they should be trying to trade up if possible.
1. There Are No Marquee Free Agents Availible This Summer
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With the way the bottom seeds are playing in this postseason the Warriors must do something this offseason to even be competitive next year.
All of the playoff teams this year should be in the hunt for the same spots next year,
The Grizzlies should be getting even better when Rudy Gay gets back, the Hornets are playing at a high level and Chris Paul should be even better next year when he has another year behind him from his knee injury.
The top seeds should all be back, too. No matter how old the Spurs look, they will certainly be good enough to at least make the postseason next year.
Then there's Phoenix, Houston and the Utah Jazz. They are no slouches. Then add in the team I fear will be the most competitive non-playoff team, the Los Angeles Clippers. That makes for a competitive Western Conference.
That leaves the Warriors needing to make a move to make a run at the postseason, where now it’s looking like all you need to do is get to the playoffs and then anything is possible.
The draft looks like it will be the most realistic option to improve this year because this summer's free-agent market isn’t looking all that great. Again, with an uncertain NBA free-agent summer ahead of us, who knows what kind of guidelines they will be working under.
With Carmelo Anthony signing in New York and Zach Randolph in Memphis, this summer's crop got even thinner.
Nene would be awesome in a Warriors uniform, but he has already said that he wants to return in a Nuggets uniform. Even if he decides to leave, the Warriors are seemingly a long shot to sign him.
David West tore his ACL and you have to think he won't be declining his player option.
Tim Duncan not in a Spurs uniform? Not seeing it.
The last, good unrestricted-free-agent-to-be is Tyson Chandler. We can hope that the Mavericks lose and he doesn't want to return to them and that he wants to play in the Bay Area, but why stop there? Why not hope we can win the lottery and date a supermodel.
Although if you do the first one, your odds are pretty good that the supermodel might follow.
Marc Gasol and DeAndre Jordan would be great, but they are restricted free agents. Tyson Chandler might be a more realistic option than these two.
That leaves Samuel Dalembert as the best possibility and he could be a good addition, but it's hard to get too excited about him becoming a Warrior.
That leaves the draft as the best possibility to improve.
Plus, not having to break the bank on anyone and putting yourself in position to sign someone in the much better 2012 free-agent class is a nice touch. Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook and Brook Lopez will be free agents in 2012.
We can only hope.
2. Big Name Players Are Dropping out
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With Perry Jones, Jared Sullinger and Harrison Barnes (and possibly more) taking their names out of the NBA draft, it’s turning a late lottery pick into a mid-to-late first-round pick.
That makes it more difficult to find a difference maker at No. 11 and gives them all the more reason to try and trade up to a top spot if possible. Although the offer would have to be pretty good, since this year's late lottery picks are far less attractive now.
Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving are two great talents who warrant top selections and I would like to see either of them in a Warriors uniform.
As the draft is nearing, every name that I can't pronounce and who I have never seen play is moving up the draft board: Enes Kanter, Donatas Motiejunas, and Jan Vesely.
If the Warriors’ scouts think that one of these players from overseas is worth enough to move up to take, then by all means do it.
Maybe having another European big man would even inspire Andris Biedrins to start playing like a NBA player.
3. To Change Things Up
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The Warriors did improve by 10 wins this year, but they also spent close to $100 million on free agents.
Unless they plan on doing the same thing this offseason for another 10 wins, which would still only put them in a tie for the last playoff spot, a trade might be the answer.
Look, I like all the guys on this team. I would love nothing more than for a backcourt of Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis to workout and end the never-ending debate on whether the two can co-exist.
Even if/when they end up on different teams, I can still see someone writing on whether it was the right move to trade one of them and whether or not they could have eventually played together. I really hope it's not me who writes it either.
However, shaking things up just might be the answer to the Warriors' playoff problems, and the draft is looking like the ideal place to do that.
Right now, as we don't currently know which pick the Warriors will actually have, just for fun (which is what most of all the pre-lottery selection talk will be leading up to the actual draft order) let's say the Warriors stay at No. 11 and look at a potential deal.
What if the Warriors offer the No. 11 pick and Monta Ellis to the Cleveland Cavilers (assuming they get a top two pick) for their pick and Anderson Varejao.
The Warriors take Derrick Williams and now feature a backcourt of Curry and Dorell Wright, with Williams and David Lee at the forward spots and Varejao, a defensive-minded presence, in the post.
They could even feature Varejao, Lee, Williams, Biedrins and Curry. How much fun would it be to see that much size on the floor at the same time for the Warriors?
Is it a good deal for both teams? The Cavs need a star and Ellis once worked well with Baron Davis, so that could be appealing. They also have J.J. Hickson and were looking to move Varejao anyway, and here they can.
This is just one potential deal. Being Warriors fans, this is all the fun we can have while the playoffs are in full swing. Any other appealing potential draft-day deals?
There is still some hope that the Warriors can land a top three pick, but with a 2.9-percent chance to land said pick, the only way the Warriors are selecting high is through a trade.
If you have any lucky charms that you have been using for the Warriors, burn them and get new ones for May 17th.
Here's hoping for a a little lottery luck.
