How much change do the Golden State Warriors need this offseason? That’s the pivotal question facing newly-appointed General Manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the remainder of the franchise’s front office.
The Warriors are well implicated in a plethora of trade reports ahead of next week’s draft, most of which surround youngsters Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga. It could prove the culmination of Golden State’s two-timeline plan with a re-focus on their aging championship core.
Could potential interest in Washington Wizards’ guard Bradley Beal spell the end of a franchise legend at the Golden State Warriors?
Bradley Beal is one of the hottest names on the trade market right now, with the Washington Wizards and his management working on a potential deal that would find the three-time All-Star a new home.
The Warriors had interest in Beal briefly during the 2021 offseason, and could now be in the mix should they wish to add another All-Star level player. Most potential trade packages start with Poole and Kuminga, though that might not be the only avenue Golden State could take.
Speaking on his Hoops Tonight show for The Volume earlier in the week, analyst Jason Timpf suggested that the Warriors might move Poole and future hall-of-famer Klay Thompson for Beal. Timpf explained that he doesn’t like the idea of Thompson and Beal in the same lineup, preferring to keep a hold of the prodigiously talented Kuminga.
“I also don’t like the idea of starting Klay at small-forward. I’d rather do something like Steph Curry, Bradley Beal, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green. That gives you a ton of athleticism on the front line”, Timpf said.
For starters, Thompson and Poole make over $70 million combined next season, meaning the Wizards would need to add another significant salary to make the deal work. Regardless, there’s little chance the Warriors move on from both guards this offseason.
Timpf rightly alludes to the Warriors need for an extra layer of ball-handling and shot-creation that Beal could bring, something they painfully lacked as Poole’s form detoriated throughout the playoffs. However, Poole still averaged over 20 points across all 82 games in the regular season, and adding Thompson to the deal might be bordering on malpractice depending on what Golden State received on top of Beal.
Given the trade speculation around Kuminga right now, the thought of him being an opening night starter for the Warriors would be an extreme and unlikely turnaround. It isn’t without merit without his defensive versatility and sky-high potential, although this scenario omits Golden State’s usual starting center in Kevon Looney.
Beal’s $46.7 million salary for next season makes it tricky for any team interested in his services, yet even more so for the Warriors who are bereft of mid-tiers players making between $10-20 million. While there may be upside in Beal given his skillset, it probably makes more sense for Golden State to target a high-level forward or big.