A year ago, the Warriors were laser-focused on prying Jazz big man Lauri Markkanen from Utah, knowing full well the team could afford to shed some of its depth in favor of a sweet-shooting stretch big man.
Efforts to land Markkanen fizzled, of course, and the Warriors carried a too-deep roster for much of the season before making the Jimmy Butler trade at the NBA deadline. But watching the Warriors’ efforts in the playoffs, first in the seven-game series against the Rockets, then in the Stephen Curry-less (other than Game 1) series against the Timberwolves, it became clear why the Warriors coveted Markkanen.
They really need a big guy who can shoot.
With that in mind, the Warriors are entering the 2025 offseason with the goal of adding a big guy who can step out to the arc. And one who could hit the trade market is not far away–Kings star center Domantas Sabonis, who is coming off a year in which he averaged 19.4 points while shooting a very impressive 59.0% from the field.
While he does not shoot a hefty number of 3s, Sabonis did make 41.7% of his 2.2 tries per game.
For Bleacher Report, that makes Sabonis the top “dream trade” target for the Warriors this summer.
In an article titled, “3 Dream Trade Targets for Every NBA Team This Summer,” the site’s Greg Swartz had Sabonis at the top of the list, followed by guards Derrick White of the Celtics and Coby White of the Bulls.
Wrote Swartz: “Sabonis would be the perfect third star for the Golden State Warriors, even if it meant trading Draymond Green in order to get him.
“The 29-year-old has led the NBA in rebounding for three years in a row, is the league’s second-best passing big man after Nikola Jokić and shot 41.7 percent from three this season. Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Sabonis would give head coach Steve Kerr a ton of offensive options.”
Indeed, in order to match the $43 million that Sabonis is slated to make next year, the Warriors would almost certainly have to build a package around Green, who is set to earn $26 million. That is what is most likely to torpedo such a deal–the Warriors appear intent on having star Stephen Curry ride out the rest of his career alongside Green.
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