On December 14, Beijing time, the Golden State Warriors narrowly defeated the Indiana Pacers 102-100 on the road. This game has also been called the "watching day" of the Warriors by the American media. In the previous trade rumors, the Pacers' two major interior linemen, Turner and Sa, were rumored to be with the Warriors. In the end, Sam shot 12 of 17 and had a double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds, which was very good.
In the report of the American media B/R (open-air stands), they also suggested that the Warriors go all out to pursue little Sabonis. Because the latter is more talented in offense, it can bring vitality to the Warriors on the offensive end. Meanwhile, the Warriors have to pay for the team's 3 lotto shows: Wiseman, Cumminga and Moody. All this is to gamble on this year's championship.
Trading Options:
Warriors sent: James Wiseman, Cumminga, Moody
Pacers send out: Sabonis Jr.'s 2026 first-round pick
This season, the Warriors have shouted the slogan of the championship. But they have a luxury tax bill of nearly $200 million and can no longer add players from the buyout market. The Warriors can only rely on the existing lineup to storm the championship, or use rookies to trade instant combat power.
The Warriors sent away Three Lotto shows from Wiseman, Cumminga and Moody in one go, which carries a certain risk. But they also got all-Star players like Sabonis Jr., and the hopes of winning the championship will be greatly increased.
Sabonis Jr. isn't a defensive interior like Bogett, but he can make the Warriors do a better job offensively. Attracting some defensive attention at the lows can also win more shooting opportunities for outside shooters. While Sabonis Jr. isn't a great defender, he has a better defensive plus-minus than Kevin Looney's.
Now that the Pacers have decided to rebuild, they should make a big deal. Last season, the Magic sent out three players, Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, which gave impetus to their rebuilding. The Pacers could do something similar with Sabonis, Turner, and Karis Levert.
If the Pacers can close the deal with the Warriors, they'll suddenly have a bunch of new stars with great potential. Wiseman, Cumminga and Moody all have higher upside. If two of them can play, the Pacers' rebuilding path will be a success.