The Warriors' top three trade targets for the early 2024 NBA offseason need to be acted upon as soon as possible.
The Golden State Warriors took a heavy blow after losing the play-in game to the Sacramento Kings. There are a lot of unexpected things that happen in the play-offs, but it's still a shocking loss for a team that won an NBA championship less than two years ago.
It's also a blow to a former dynasty that seems to be on the verge of its end, Stephen Curry is still Stephen Curry, but Klay Thompson is no longer the shadow he once was, and Draymond Green is past his prime.
The Warriors can destroy everything and start rebuilding, but it will be even more interesting if they decide to put all their chips in the center of the table and let their super point guard lead them to the Finals again.
Let's take a closer look at three players the Warriors could target on the trade market this offseason to bolster their roster.
1. Kevin Durant
If the Phoenix Suns suffer a loss in the playoffs this season and their championship path ends in silence, the "Skinny Grim Reaper" may start looking around for a way out of the current situation.
If Durant wants to leave Phoenix, he may remember his success when he played with Curry in the Bay Area.
Curry and Durant led the Warriors to two championships in three seasons, only to miss out on three straight championships because the latter was injured during the 2019 playoffs. Their respective styles work together perfectly, and this has been proven in the past.
Yes, both Curry and Durant are a few years older than the last time they joined forces.
However, they are still one of the truly elite offensive players in the league, and if they play together again, they could well become the league's top duo on the offensive end.
Durant is likely to quickly readjust to his former teammates and quickly lead the Warriors back into championship contention, and the hard part will be coming up with a deal that the Suns will accept.
Jonathan Kuminga has emerged as a desperate solo scorer and explosive scorer this season, but there is still debate about his potential. If the Suns believe Kuminga is already on the way to an undefeated all-star campaign, he could be a candidate to be one of the top players, along with other players and plenty of draft picks.
So far, the Warriors seem to have tried to do both, carefully balancing the process of competing for a championship now and building the next generation of their team. Trading future draft picks for Durant would upset that balance and show that the Golden State Warriors are determined to win another championship before Curry hangs up his boots.
If they can come up with a trade package acceptable to the Suns, the Warriors led by Curry and Durant could be the favourites to qualify for the Western Conference next year.
2. Nickel Alexander-Walker
Every team can use a player like Alexander Walker, and the Warriors are no exception. NAW, as he is also called, is an elite defensive player with the ability to hit open shots steadily.
Curry may be the greatest shooter of all time, but despite his daily efforts, he was well below average on the defensive end late in his career.
Curry just doesn't have the height and strength to defend opponents consistently, and when he's young and healthy, Thompson is the perfect fit not just because of his shooting ability but because of his elite defensive ability.
NAW isn't Klay Thompson, and to be clear, there are very few players in the league who come close to Thompson's ability as a two-way player. But Alexander Walker is a low-use offensive player who can fill any necessary role and is an elite defender at multiple positions on the perimeter.
His addition will bring much-needed diversity to the Golden State Warriors' roster and take the pressure off Curry on the court.
3. Deandre Ayton
When Deandre Ayton was drafted with the first pick in 2018, expectations were very high for him. Many analysts predict that Ayton will be the NBA's next superstar center.
His career didn't go as planned, but Ayton showed talent intermittently. He's an excellent rebounder who can score between 15 and 20 points per night, and he can occasionally burst out with 30 points or more.
What's more, Ayton's style of play is a perfect fit for Curry. The former Suns big man scores inside, Ayton isn't a shooter, and he's rarely going to be.
However, he is very good at rolling to the basket and using his body to block defenders.
In Curry's era, the Golden State Warriors never had the ability to score inside like Ayton. Between those two players, the Warriors will have a dominant inside-outside combination that can bend the defense in opposite directions.
Curry, after drawing the defense 35 feet from the basket, passed the ball to Ayton, who was sitting just below the baseline, and it was a pleasing basketball.