In the aftermath of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson leaving to play alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving with the Dallas Mavericks, the Golden State Warriors have been incredibly busy trying to fill the void left by the future Hall of Famer.
On Thursday, the Warriors took a big step forward in replacing Thompson as best they could, reportedly agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers for veteran shooter Buddy Hield.
Although the Warriors made a solid move by bringing in Hield and also recently adding De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson, they still aren’t considered to be much of a threat in the Western Conference. But that could soon change.
The Warriors reportedly have been aggressively pursuing a trade with the Utah Jazz to acquire Lauri Markkanen, which could again make Golden State a legitimate threat in the West.
According to Tony Jones of The Athletic, via 95.7 The Game, the Warriors have an offer on the table for Makkanen and are playing the waiting game, as other teams have also submitted offers that are heavily pick-based.
“Golden State has an offer on the table, and it’s substantial [for Lauri Markkanen]. I think offers are heavily pick-based… What complicates it is the Warriors only have two unprotected picks, plus a protected first-rounder,” Jones said.
“Golden State has an offer on the table and it’s substantial [for Lauri Markkanen]. I think offers are heavily pick-based… What complicates it is the Warriors only have two unprotected picks, plus a protected first rounder.” – @Tjonesonthenba
🎧 https://t.co/ANAKvyx8kV pic.twitter.com/ecGgUOlqBm
— 95.7 The Game (@957thegame) July 5, 2024
At this point, the Warriors can only wait and see whether their offer is accepted, or if they can up their offer for Markkanen’s services to beat out other interested teams.
With the Jazz seemingly going nowhere, moving on from their best player to get the most value in return makes a lot of sense. But Utah executive Danny Ainge famously doesn’t settle for deals he isn’t fond of, so this situation is bound to get interesting.
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Analyst Has A Strong Belief On Why Klay Thompson Left The Warriors