By all accounts, the Golden State Warriors won’t be adding an established co-star to their roster before the 2024–25 season starts, as they failed to do this offseason. After failing to reach an agreement this summer, a number of sources indicate that the Warriors want to reexamine the trade market in the middle of the season.
Golden State is taking a risk by making this deal because it’s likely that they will be up against it in the NBA standings by the time the trade deadline arrives. Nevertheless, players who were not available in the offseason do frequently become available at the deadline, so maybe Golden State’s patience will pay off.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently listed three NBA teams as trade targets and recommended the Warriors to deal for Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers in the event that they are unable to reach an even larger agreement for LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
“If a trade for James doesn’t work out, the Warriors should pursue another veteran star forward in California,” Swartz wrote. “The Clippers also have a real chance to fall to .500 this season (or below) with no Paul George on the roster. Pairing Leonard with Curry and Draymond Green would make the Warriors a title threat in the West again, assuming all parties are healthy and Green is on his best behavior.”
Even if they struggle, there is no reason to think that Leonard will be dealt by the Los Angeles Lakers even though he would be a fantastic match for Golden State basketball. The Clippers signed Leonard to a three-year agreement worth $153 million (value via ESPN) last season as they moved into the brand-new Intuit Dome.
