Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[DanSchwartzgan]

I don't want to reopen all the Wiggins pro et contra discussions. I am interested in GSW part of it. There was some smoke Mavs are interested and todays rumor is that GSW is exploring player for player options for him. This basically takes out all tanking teams options, as none of them would take that contract without assets. This leaves teams that might see a better fit with Wiggins than what they have with some other players on their roster.

Assuming GSW is only exploring player for player options, what would be their main motivation in the trade? Good players are not on table in such deals and is it even likely any average player changes their chances so much? I don't think so. Are they looking for a specific player position or is the main motivation just to save money? Lets consider player positions. They have Curry and CP3 at guard positions, being backed up by the young Poziemsky who is playing well and Moody as well. So, an average guard will not really make a huge difference.

Forward positions will be dominated by Thompson, Kuminga and Draymond. Center might be their biggest position of need as they are undersized with Looney, Saric and Jackson-Davis.

My conclusion is, that their main motivation in player for player deal would be to have more flexibility in the summer. I will take all GSW rookies of the table, as I don't think they will use any of them to dump Wiggins for some average or worse players. Going from there, I will play a little bit with the options.

THJ for Wiggins works straight up. They would save a lot for next two seasons and THJ contract will be far more moveable than Wiggins in the summer. It would put Mavs in the tax but there are some minor moves like moving Curry that would solve that. But it seems like GSW are the clear winner in this deal. Mavs getting a bad contract in a player that you can only hope would return to at least 90 % of what he was. Huge risk. Kills a lot of Mavs flexibility in summer, where THJ contract would be great to have.

Kleber+GW? Longer term deals not really saving GSW any money and even as bad as Wiggins is playing, both are worse than him. Might be easier for GSW to move two smaller contracts than Wiggins one though. Season is lost anyway. If GSW would want to save more money, they could add GPII and we add Curry. From Mavs perspective, next move could make things very interesting. If they get someone like Grant with THJ/Holmes and the darft assets in the summer. Luka-Kyrie-Wiggins-Grant-Lively could be a very dangerous line-up on both ends of the floor. Ideally we keep Green, Omax, Exum, Hardy as bench options.

Holmes has less money on his deal, but far worse player value than any of Maxi/GW.

Jackson-Davis keeps popping up on my YouTube home page.  It is almost as if YouTube is trying to tell me something.

I think something like this has to involve a third team that can get GSW under the 2nd apron for 24-25 with CP3 presumed gone and Thompson presumed retained at a more reasonable number.  It doesn't have to be a GSW player going to the third team.  It could be GWill going to Washington and Holmes to GSW (or visa-versa).  GS would have to pay to get the third team to take a Dallas contract (or a GS contract).

The Warriors are kind of in Late-Dirk mode and I'm not sure there is a win-now move that gets them there.  But, they have to play out the string to honor the Curry legacy.  Moving Wiggins for something useful would be helpful, but they can't completely abandon the post-Curry era either.  Do they give up a pick with Wiggins?  Jackson-Davis?  I could see Wiggins ending up in Dallas or Washington with Gafford and THJ in GS.  I'd give up the unprotected first if we ended up with TJD and Kuzma or TJD and Avdija.  It just seems like there are some good mix/match opportunities if we bring the Washington TPE into the picture.