Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
NBA Trade Rumors: Warriors Interested in Magic SG Gary Harris?
ORLANDO - The Golden State Warriors are facing elimination tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers and could see their try for a title defense come to an end.
If the Warriors lose any of the next three games to the Lakers, they will head back to the drawing board this offseason searching for answers.
Among the possible solutions could be a trade with the Orlando Magic for shooting guard Gary Harris ... even if there isn't a clear path to a deal.
"The Golden State Warriors could, in theory, aim higher than Gary Harris on the trade market," Bleacher Report writes. "To broker a blockbuster, though, they'd have to find a team that loves both Jordan Poole and Jonathan Kuminga, and with the former struggling mightily this postseason while the latter fails to crack the rotation, that seems a long shot at best."
The Warriors could look a lot different next season, especially with Draymond Green entering free agency. Golden State signed Jordan Poole to an extension last offseason, but his efforts this year have made that contract look like a bad bargain. The team could look at retooling around Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, and adding a veteran like Harris could make things smoother.
"Assuming the Dubs don't have a massive trade budget, then, they might ditch any hopes of increasing their star power and instead focus on finding more stability in their supporting cast," Bleacher Report writes. "They could have enough assets to swing a Harris deal, and he, in turn, could quickly emerge as one of their more reliable role players."
While the Magic like Harris, namely his veteran experience and his shooting from distance, Orlando has incentive to move him. He has just one year remaining on his deal, and none of the money is guaranteed. There may not be another opportunity to extract this kind of value from Harris, so the Magic could strike while the iron is hot.
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