Bill Simmons may have kicked around a trade idea that sounds wild at first, but it fits the kind of middle-ground team Golden State has become. A contender with a clear timeline might hesitate to absorb Zion Williamson and all the baggage that comes with him. The Warriors, though, are operating in a very different lane, and that makes the conversation a lot more interesting.
The Ringer’s Simmons floated Golden State as a possible landing spot for Williamson ahead of February’s mid-season deadline, pointing to a team that has expiring contracts and draft capital if it wanted to make a swing for the 6’6” forward. In that sense, the fit is at least believable on paper.
Williamson just turned in one of the healthier seasons of his career, appearing in 62 games and putting up 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists while shooting 60% from the floor. That production is exactly why he still carries real value. Even with the injury history attached, the talent is obvious enough that his price tag might not match his upside.
For Golden State, the basketball fit is where things get intriguing. A swap that moved Draymond Green out of the power forward spot and inserted Williamson there would give the Warriors a far more explosive look, especially alongside rookie Yaxel Lendeborg.
That combination would give the offense a different kind of force, with more pressure at the rim. The spacing issues would still be there if Jimmy Butler is not included in the deal, and that could create a frontcourt crowd in a hurry.
There’s also a more practical concern: Golden State may need a center more than it needs another forward. Kristaps Porzingis’ latest health issue could force the Warriors to focus on the middle of the floor instead, particularly with their depth at forward looking reasonable thanks to the growth of Lendeborg and Gui Santos. In that context, Williamson isn’t the cleanest answer to their roster problems.
Still, the theory behind a Williamson-Porzingis pairing is obvious. A four-five combination like that works in a vacuum.
The problem is that both players carry major health questions, so the duo might look better on paper than on the floor. If the Warriors did land Williamson, they would also want a stretch big to balance out his interior game.
If Golden State is stuck hovering around the Play-In at the deadline, and if the free-agent market for next summer doesn’t offer much, Williamson could become the kind of gamble that makes sense for a team trying to pull itself back into relevance. The Pelicans will also be a team worth watching, especially with the Warriors already having well publicized interest in Trey Murphy III as another possible target.
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The more interesting wrinkle is that the door is not entirely closed, especially with Kristaps Porzingis still a question because of health concerns. The Warriors have limited trade-eligible pieces, so any adjustment would likely have to be carefully constructed rather than impulsive, but the uncertainty around the frontcourt means the final version of the roster may not be locked in just yet. [Read more 🡒]