Warriors predicted to trade for Nuggets' $276M NBA champion, 3-time MVP to save the season originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Golden State Warriors are in a position they have rarely found themselves in over the last decade with Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Steve Kerr. The organization is not expected to make the playoffs, a scenario that was never a major concern during its dynasty run.
Golden State wasn’t able to make many moves during the offseason because of its current salary-cap crunch. Instead, the Warriors had to sign several depth pieces. Before the season, head coach Steve Kerr made it clear that the team is not where it needs to be.
“We're not anywhere close to where we want to be, but we're working on the right things," Kerr said.
He wasn’t far from the truth, as the team is dealing with injuries and simply isn’t playing at the level the organization has become accustomed to. Many fans want the Warriors to make a move to help Curry chase another championship. However, Kerr has already cast doubt on the possibility of sacrificing the team’s future for another title run.
“Do we throw away our entire future to build around a 39-year-old Steph? He turns 39 in March, right? Does it make sense now to throw away all those picks? H*ll no,” Kerr said.
If Golden State is going to make a big move, it will likely be for a superstar who could remain with the organization for some time. Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale believes the Warriors could trade for Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic.
“Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porziņģis and Moses Moody won't be ready to rock until god knows when. It took one open practice for Stephen Curry to scare the hell out of everyone by tweaking his ankle. Head coach Steve Kerr is already apologizing to fans. Rather than pretend they should be skulking around mid-tier markets, this is a wishlist of epic proportions. The Dubs shouldn't do anything unless it has the chance to give them everything. Maybe the Denver Nuggets' season veers so far into the abyss that both the franchise and its superstar lifer reconsider his extension promise,” Favale wrote.
These are the kinds of moves fans would love to see, and Jokic could potentially decide to leave Denver. There have been rumblings that people within the organization have growing concerns about whether he will remain with the Nuggets.
Jokic is currently playing under a $276 million contract with Denver. Depending on the asking price, acquiring him could help salvage a season that has already gotten off to a difficult start. A duo featuring the three-time MVP and Curry would be absolutely devastating for opposing teams.
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