The Golden State Warriors are not only caught between two timelines at the moment; they are also having trouble because of injuries. Although it would be more of a short-term problem, it might have long-term consequences, like the Warriors missing the playoffs this year.
They might want to think about making a significant move if they factor in the possibility that Draymond Green would depart the team after this season. The Rudy Gobert experiment by the Minnesota Timberwolves hasn’t worked out so far this season, so they might look to make a significant move. The player some have recommended they deal is not Gobert, though.
A possible three-team agreement involving the Warriors, Timberwolves, and Atlanta Hawks is described below:
Warriors receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, 2027 2nd-Round Pick (top-50 protected via ATL)
Timberwolves receive: John Collins, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Moses Moody, 2024 1st-Round Pick (via SAC, from ATL), 2026 1st-Round Pick (via GSW), 2028 1st-Round Pick (Lottery Protected via GSW)
Hawks receive: Green, Taurean Prince, Austin Rivers
Golden State could continue to pursue the championship while while making future plans if they included Towns in the mix. Towns and Wiggins would be paired together once more as a result of the deal, but this time around, their circumstances would be considerably better and they appear to have no animosity toward one another.
Why Hawks & Timberwolves Make This Trade
Towns’ contract extension prevented this agreement from closing until the next summer, meaning Green would have to exercise his player option. But he’d be joining the Hawks in a good place, next to a talented squad that needs coaching.
With this move, the Hawks would finally sever their relationship with Collins and significantly enhance their defense. Green would instill in them a championship mentality, and Prince and Rivers would increase their versatility across the board.
The Timberwolves would alter their course in the meantime. And that’s precisely what they need to do, says Sports Illustrated’s Howard Beck.
“I’m sure the Wolves want to give this group as long as possible to figure it out, but I’m not convinced they’ll ever get there,” Beck wrote. “Edwards is the future. Gobert has to stay to anchor the defense (and to justify the massive investment of all those picks). Which means it’s time to do two things: See what you can get for Russell now, and start gauging the market for Towns. They can’t actually trade KAT until next July, because of the supermax extension he signed last summer, but it’s time to start laying the groundwork.”
‘Pretty Strong’ Chance Draymond Green Leaves Warriors
Green would need to take his player option before the Warriors could move him, so it would have to be to a place he is comfortable with. Additionally, there is a “very significant” possibility that he might depart the Warriors in any case, according to sources who talked with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports.
“Pretty strong,” a Western Conference executive said of Green’s chances to leave the Warriors. “If they win a championship again this year, there will be pressure to keep things together, but the stuff with the punch [on Jordan Poole] in the preseason, that probably put the nail in it. There was already a good chance he would go just because his production is not what it was and he is getting older [32]. It would be hard to justify paying him $20-something-million a year.”
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