NBA TV analyst Jeff Van Gundy believes Warriors should make some trades
Looking at how this season was going before the suspension, the Golden State Warriors faced a ton of challenges: Kevin Durant’s departure, Stephen Curry’s early injury (when he broke his hand late in October and made his debut just a couple of days before Rudy Gobert tested positive in COVID-19), Klay Thompson has been out since the NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors, they signed D’Angelo Russell who got injured but came back and then they did what the rumours were saying — they traded him (along with Jacob Evans III, D’Angelo Russell, and Omari Spellman) to the Minnesota Timberwolves and through this deal they acquired Andrew Wiggins a 2021 first-round draft pick (top 3 protected), and a 2021 second-round draft pick. Having Curry and Thompson sitting on the bench affected their performance and as it becomes comprehensible they took a dive in the rankings and established themselves in the last position with record 15–50 and no hopes for action in a potential postseason (if the season doesn’t get cancelled).
Taking into consideration all the above, the big question that the Warriors’ front office will have to answer once the 2020 NBA Draft Lottery finally happens: To trade the high draft pick or not to the trade the high draft pick?
NBA TV analyst Jeff Van Gundy gave his take on this topic: “If you’re Golden State — (general manager) Bob Myers does such a great job, Steve Kerr is a terrific coach and they have the right best players because they’re all in for the team — but (Steph) Curry’s not young,” he said Tuesday on KNBR 680. “So if you could get the right trade for a great player to supplement what you have and boost your chances of winning it all now — I think that’s gonna be a very viable option for them.
“Who that is — I don’t know.”
Stephen Curry will turn 33 years old next March (he has two more years in his contract with the team — $43 million in 2020–21 and nearly $46 million in 2021–22). Klay Thompson will be 31 in February and Draymond Green will turn 31 in March. As you understand, looking at the next season when all the guys are healthy, the Warriors will have to make some moves if they really want to go back to where they were last season.
“Ultimately, I think there are gonna be a lot of opportunities out there,” Van Gundy said. “They had to withstand this season, but I have a feeling after they get through this, they’re gonna come out with a terrific player in the draft or a package of players for that draft pick.”
“Man, they’re gonna be hard to deal with next year,” Van Gundy declared.
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