If there is one thing that the Warriors are missing now that the dust has settled in what was an eventful opening to the 2024 NBA free-agency period, it is a player whom other opponents will go into a game truly worried about—outside of Stephen Curry, of course. The departure of Klay Thompson was expected and, in the end, probably necessary for both sides. But, with due respect to Jonathan Kuminga, losing Thompson robs the Warriors of the one player capable of a 40-point outburst on any given night.
The Warriors have attempted to replace Thompson with numbers. They passed on the opportunity to acquire Josh Green from the Mavericks in the Thompson sign-and-trade, and instead went for veterans Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson.
Each has a unique skillset, and a glaring Achilles heel. Hield is an elite shooter who doesn’t defend. Melton is a top-notch 3-and-D guard. Anderson is an excellent passer and playmaker, who does not make plays for himself and has a career aversion to shooting.
Teamed with the Warriors’ strong up-and-coming bunch of young players, the Warriors have a litany of supporting role players for Curry. But they don’t have a true No. 2 option. And, according to CBS Sports, the most feasible way for them to get one is to successfully finish off their pursuit of Jazz star Lauri Markkanen with a trade that brings him to the Bay Area.
Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy Draws Praise
CBS analyst Brad Botkin certainly had good things to say about the performance of GM Mike Dunleavy, who had the difficult job of taking over for Bob Myers while staring down an overwrought payroll that needed to be reined in.
Dunleavy has done that, and the Warriors should be competitive despite the loss of Thompson—and Chris Paul—in free agency with no players coming back in return.
But, wrote Botkin, the Warriors still need to put a top-notch bow on this package: “For all these smart moves Dunleavy has made to beef up the support staff, there still isn’t anyone outside of Curry that strikes real fear into opponents. But that could change at any minute, with the Warriors reportedly going hard after Utah’s Lauri Markkanen. If Dunleavy pulls off that trade, it becomes a slam-dunk summer in the Bay. …
“Markkanen, who is a versatile offensive player and operates great without the ball (perfect for playing with Curry and in Golden State’s system), would put the Warriors back in contention for a top-four seed and a potential long playoff run. Right now, without the Markkanen move, SportsLine projects the Warriors to win 48 games in 2024-25. That’s a two-win improvement, but a 48-34 record would’ve only secured a Play-In spot last season.”
Lauri Markkanen Trade Will Not Come Cheap From the Jazz
Predictably, the Jazz are not planning on making things easy for potential suitors of Markkanen, an All-Star who averaged 23.9 points last year after winning the NBA’s Most Improved award in 2023.
Markkanen is a 7-footer with range, and those have serious value in the NBA, especially in the wake of the Celtics’ offensive dominance—they played a five-out system, with everyone capable of shooting the 3. A guy like Markkanen can elevate a very good team into a real contender.
He shot 48% from the field and 39.9% from the 3-point line, and has the size and youth (he turned 27 in May) the Warriors want. He is also affordable, in the short-term at least. Markkanen is entering the final year of a four-year, $68 million contract he signed in 2021. He’s due a contract extension, but the Warriors would not have to begin paying that until 2025-26.
It’s a longshot that the Warriors can put together a package to bring in Markkanen, not without giving up two first-round picks as well as Kuminga—a player the Dubs have shown no interest in trading. The Warriors would make a good offseason a great one with Markkanen. But it’s still a longshot.
