Report: Warriors Wanted Two-Way Star Before He Was Traded

The Golden State Warriors are all-in on Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they reportedly had another star trade target before the Feb. 5 deadline.

ESPN's Shams Charania said Wednesday that "Jaren Jackson Jr. was looked at as a potential difference-maker within the Warriors" before he was traded from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Utah Jazz on Tuesday.

The Warriors were presumably keeping all their assets for their pursuit of Antetokounmpo, so they likely never made an offer to the Grizzlies.

Jackson was traded with Jock Landale, John Konchar and Vince Williams Jr. for Walter Clayton Jr., Kyle Anderson, Taylor Hendricks, Georges Niang and three first-round picks.

The Warriors could have beat that package, though it's not clear if they would have.

The Cost of the Giannis Pursuit

The Warriors have been hoarding their assets for a Giannis pursuit for the past seven years. In that time, they've been linked to a number of stars who could have helped Stephen Curry win a fifth ring, such as Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Lauri Markkanen.

Perhaps their final reason for avoiding each of those stars was different and not directly due to the lure of chasing Giannis. But you have to wonder if Giannis had a role in some of their failed pursuits.

This failed pursuit is more of a direct result of the Giannis pursuit.

The Warriors are looking less and less like they are going to get him. He's either going to Minnesota or staying put at the deadline, and the Warriors will likely have no shot at him in the offseason when more teams are after him with better draft-pick packages.

They could have seen that writing on the wall and pivoted to Jackson, but instead they are keeping all their chips on the Giannis pursuit until he's traded somewhere else.

How Jackson Would Have Fit

I speculated on Sunday that the Warriors could have gotten Jackson for Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Buddy Hield and three first-round picks. Let's pretend the Warriors pulled off that extra trade for him.

Jackson and Draymond Green would have been a fierce defensive tandem. Both are adept at disrupting offenses as help defenders.

On offense, Jackson's three-point shooting would help mask Green's deficiency there.

Suffice to say, it would have been a great fit.

Jackson's biggest weakness is his rebounding, and that's one of the Warriors' biggest weaknesses as well.

It's fair to question whether the Warriors would have had realistic title contention with that weakness. But they would have been much better with Jackson in most other facets, which is why it probably would have been worth giving up three first-round picks for him.