After the Brooklyn Nets traded Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks, they could look to trade other assets as they head into a rebuild. The Golden State Warriors are looking to improve their roster and could benefit from the Nets trading away other players.
In a proposed trade from Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report, the Warriors would move Andrew Wiggins, a future first-round pick, and more for Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.
Warriors would get: Johnson, Finney-Smith
Nets would get: Wiggins, Kevon Looney, future first-round pick, second-tier prospect (not Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski)
“Every win-now team is surely taking a long look at the Brooklyn Nets right now, as they seemingly signaled an intent to rebuild by shipping out two-way swingman Mikal Bridges for five first-round picks,” Buckley wrote on July 11. “Even if the Nets aren’t of the everything-must-go mindset, they should still be open to dealing reliable veterans for draft assets. The Warriors, meanwhile, should be open to flipping a few long-term assets for plug-and-play contributors.
“Could Golden State and Brooklyn gain traction on trade talks built around three-and-D forward Dorian Finney-Smith and 6’8″ net-shredder Cameron Johnson? If the Warriors are willing to put a couple future-focused assets into the exchange, this seems doable.”
Wiggins Was Once a Big Piece to the Warriors
When the Golden State Warriors won a championship in the 2021-22 season, Wiggins was a huge reason for their success. He was named an All-Star in the campaign, the first and only selection of his career.
Playing in 73 games, Wiggins shot 46.6% from the field and 39.3% from 3-point range on 5.5 attempts per game. He averaged 17.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game.
However, his production has taken a hit in the past two seasons, shooting 35.8% from 3-point range on 3.6 attempts last year and averaging just 13.2 points per game.
He showed the ability to be an above-average defender when the Warriors won the NBA finals in 2022, but he’s also slowed down on that side of basketball.
According to Logan Murdock of the Ringer, Wiggins will be aggressively put in trade talks due to his inconsistent role over the past two years.
“League sources believe Andrew Wiggins, who struggled to find a consistent role last season, will be aggressively dangled in trade talks,” Murdock wrote on June 26.
How Johnson and Finney-Smith Would Help the Warriors
Johnson and Finney-Smith would be perfect replacements for Wiggins, as they do much of what he did when he was named an All-Star. Both are above-average defenders, so the Golden State Warriors could put together a lineup featuring them and Draymond Green.
Finney-Smith averaged 8.5 points and 4.7 rebounds last season and was one of the better defenders in the league.
He’s shown the ability to be an above-average 3-point shooter, shooting 39.5% from 3-point range on 5.4 attempts just two seasons ago. However, he shot 34.8% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game last year.
Johnson, who has championship experience after losing in the finals with the Phoenix Suns in the 2020-21 season, averaged 13.4 points and 4.3 rebounds a year ago. His 3-point shot has been one of the best in the NBA over the past few seasons, shooting an impressive 39.1% on 6.1 attempts in 2023-24.
Their ability to stretch the floor and defend at a high level would be a welcomed addition to the Warriors as they look to add more next to Stephen Curry.
