A Trade The Warriors And Mavericks Must Consider
The Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks are both in intriguing spots as a franchise.
Over the last nine seasons, the Warriors have won four NBA Championships, but they are currently the 11th seed in the Western Conference with an 18-22 record in their fist 40 games.
As for the Mavs, they reached the Conference Finals in 2022 but are coming off a year where they missed the postseason.
Right now, they are the sixth seed in the Western Conference with a 24-18 record in their first 42 games.
I believe the two teams can help each other out by making a trade that sends Chris Paul, Klay Thompson and Jonathan Kuminga to Dallas and Kyrie Irving, Richaun Holmes and Tim Hardaway Jr. to Golden State.
Why?
The Warriors are in need of a player who can take over a game and relieve pressure off Steph Curry, who will turn 36 later this year.
Irving is a future Hall of Famer who can go off for 40 points on any given night, and Hardaway Jr. would bring another scoring option for the bench.
Meanwhile, Holmes, who is not getting playing time with the Mavs, would add much-needed depth for rebounding and size.
On the other hand, the Mavs would be getting Thompson, who could be an incredible complement to Luka Doncic.
Thompson is one of the greatest shooters of all time and doesn't need the ball in his hands.
When the Mavs made the Conference Finals, they had a starting lineup that featured multiple role players and shooters surrounding Doncic.
In addition to Thompson, Paul would be an excellent option to bring off the bench (or pair with Doncic) to take over some of the ball-handling duties.
At 38, he is no longer in his prime but is still capable of being an above-average floor general.
Lastly, Kuminga brings youth, as he is only 21 years old and has scored 72 points over his previous three games.
For the Mavs, they would also get a lot of flexibility, as Thompson will be a free agent this summer, and Paul's contract is non-guaranteed for the 2023-24 season (h/t Spotrac).
