The Warriors got clipped by the Giannis Antetokounmpo-to-Miami Heat move in more ways than one, losing out on the two-time MVP and the chance to land their preferred draft target, Brayden Burries.
But the story may not be finished for Golden State. Another name tied to the fallout is Jaime Jaquez Jr., who has been floated as a possible trade target after ending up with the Milwaukee Bucks as part of the Antetokounmpo deal.
There’s already some buzz around what Milwaukee might do with the pieces it received in return for Antetokounmpo - Tyler Herro, Kel'el Ware and Jaquez among them. Yozzi Gozlan of Third Apron suggested the Bucks should at least explore moving Jaquez again this offseason, especially with the forward now extension-eligible after going one pick ahead of Brandin Podziemski at the 2023 NBA Draft.
Gozlan’s colleague Sam Quinn took that a step further and named Golden State as a team that should be in the mix, with a deal that would send out a protected first-round pick.
"That could be a Golden State move because he fits the way they want to play. He's a tricky guy to move as an offense-centric forward who's not a great 3-point shooter, but if Golden State would do a top 10 protected first-round pick, that would be pretty interesting," Quinn said.
On paper, it makes sense. The Warriors could use more self-created offense, and Jaquez brings exactly that. He just turned in a career year, finishing second in Sixth Man of the Year voting after averaging 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists while shooting 50.7% from the field.
That kind of production would stand out on a Golden State bench that leans heavily on support pieces around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler rather than players who can generate their own offense.
Even so, the hurdles are real. The Warriors have shown this offseason that they’re reluctant to part with draft capital, especially for someone who isn’t a star. A deal could also get messy from a salary-matching standpoint unless Moses Moody is included, which would likely mean another Bucks player would have to be involved as well.
Add in the extension issue, and this still feels like a long shot. But if Golden State is serious about patching up an offense that has looked thin while Jimmy Butler is sidelined by injury, Jaquez is the kind of player they ought to be circling.
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The next checkpoint matters, though, because it will help frame just how soon Golden State can realistically count on him again. If the rehab keeps trending in the right direction, Moody should remain part of the conversation for the Warriors when he returns, which gives the team at least one encouraging internal storyline to monitor as the season approaches. [Read more 🡒]