During a recent episode of Gil’s Arena, the former Washington guard revealed how the Golden State Warriors‘ Big Three could stay together after this season. While the remaining crew on Gil’s Arena brushed away the possibility of them surviving the upcoming off-season, Gilbert Arenas wasn’t ready to accept that this season might be the Warriors’ ‘Last Dance’.
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Arenas recognized that there was a need for some necessary moves before the Warriors could keep all three franchise stars. Talking about the strategy, Arenas revealed to his co-hosts,
“Big Three, they are fine, they staying together. The reason I say this is because if they can get Klay back for pennies on the dollar…from there they have so much money that they can sign Paul George…If they can sign Paul George and bring Klay off the bench, then the Big Three is re-lived..now it’s a Bigger Three.”
Though Arena’s plan of moving Thompson to the bench and signing George may seem achievable, there still are a lot of hurdles in the hypothetical trade. Assuming that the shooting guard is ready to come off the bench, and take a reduced role, questions around his contract are still up in the air. He had turned down the Warrior’s previous offer of $48 Million for two years, deciding to bet on himself.
If Thompson decides to stay, his compensation will have to take a severe cut, as the Warriors will now have to accommodate George’s contract as well. He is currently playing out the last year of his current contract, valued at $43.2 million, and any trade talks between Thompson and the Warriors have been put on hold until summer.
Paul George, on the other hand, will be entering the final season of his Clippers contract in the upcoming season. He signed an extension with the Clippers in 2019, worth $176,265,466, with his player option kicking in at the end of this season. If the Warriors hope to sign George, they either have to wait a year for him to depart from the Clippers, or take a smaller risk, and acquire him through a sign-and-trade situation.
The Warrior’s last dance
The Golden State Warriors have seen a lot of different line-ups over the years. The roster might have looked drastically different each year, but the franchise has not yet dared to touch its Big Three. Klay Thomspon, Draymond Green, and Stephen Curry have been with the franchise since being drafted by the Warriors front office.
While the trio were great during their prime, it’s pretty obvious that the Warriors need a breath of fresh air throughout their roster. Leaving Curry aside, Draymond and Thompson have been anything but consistent. While Thompson has been a solid player off the bench, the multiple injuries throughout his career have slowed down the 34-year-old, making him a liability on defense at times.
Draymond Green, on the other hand, seems to be dealing with behavioral issues on the court. He has already missed 12 games this season due to suspensions alone and even got ejected last week against the Magic, just four minutes into the contest. With Curry’s prime ending, it should be the Warrior’s priority to surround Curry with the best possible roster, ensuring that the franchise can bring out his entire potential before No 30 hangs it up.
