As difficult as it may be to admit, the reality is that the Golden State Warriors’ championship window is closing. Steph Curry is 36, Draymond Green is 34, and they’re not getting any younger. This is no longer the Warriors that dominated the 2010s, or if they are, they’re an older, creakier version of them.
Advertisement
The Warriors looked like one of the best teams in the NBA to start the season. Energized by the addition of Buddy Hield, the Dubs raced out to a 12-3 record, but the past month has been rough, as they’ve managed to go only 3-10 since.
Despite their recent downturn, the Warriors are determined to do everything they can to get the most out of Steph’s twilight years. GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. has taken a proactive approach to improving the team by trading for Dennis Schroder well before the trade deadline, and he’s not likely to stop there.
One name that has popped up as a possible Warriors trade target is Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls. Trading for an offensive-minded big man would be a departure from the way Golden State has done things during the Steph era, but in today’s high-scoring era of the NBA, it could be just what the doctor ordered for a team that needs to turn its fortunes around.
The Warriors have given most of their center minutes to Kevon Looney and Trayce Jackson-Davis, neither of whom is much of a threat to score a lot of points. Vucevic could change that, forcing opposing defenses to focus more on the paint and less on the sharpshooting Curry and Hield outside.
What does Nikola Vucevic bring to the table?
The Montenegrin big man is enjoying the most efficient season of his career, and he’s a big reason why the Bulls have been much feistier than expected. Vucevic is shooting a career-best 63.8 percent from the floor and a career-best 45.2 percent from three, and he’s still pulling down 9.8 rebounds per game.
Vucevic’s ability to knock down shots from the perimeter would be a big upgrade over the paint-bound Looney and Jackson-Davis, neither of whom has even attempted a three in the past two years. He wouldn’t be asked to score 20.7 points per game like he has for the Bulls, but his presence would take a lot of the offensive burden off of Steph, whose numbers have taken a significant hit this year.
The Western Conference is loaded with quality big men. Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama, and Alperen Sengun are just some of the outstanding centers that the Warriors need to deal with, and adding Vucevic would give them the firepower to stand a chance.
Though Vucevic isn’t going to make an All-Defensive team anytime soon, he’s still a capable defender with a high basketball IQ. He’s not much of a shot-blocker, but neither is Looney, and Vucevic brings so much more to the table offensively that he’d be a clear upgrade.
What will the Dubs have to give up?
Most players that can score and rebound at Vucevic’s level would command a big price on the trade market, but according to NBA insider Jake Fischer, it might not take more than a couple of second-round picks to get a deal done for the 14-year veteran. That’s a price that Golden State would be more than willing to pay, the only issue is that all of the team’s second-round picks through 2031 have been shipped away.
The Dubs could have a 2025 second-rounder from Miami that they could use, but the simpler solution would be to offer a lottery-protected 2025 first to get the deal done instead. If the Bulls really are only looking for two second-rounders, they’d jump at the chance to get a first.
We’ll see if Dunleavy Jr. makes another move in the coming weeks, but this one seems like a no-brainer for a team that needs a spark.
