FanPost

Just how valuable would the 6th pick be in a trade?

At the sixth spot, it looks like the draft will come down to three guys for us: Aminu, Johnson, and Monroe. These players all bring some interesting options to the table, but let's not talk about them right now. That topic has been beaten like a dead horse. The question is who can we get in trade that will be a difference maker right away? Is the 6th pick and some interesting trade pieces worth a star that another team is looking to dump?

How about a player like Andre Iguodala? The Sixers will pick Turner, of course. How will that effect Iggy's spot? On the Jazz, maybe Andrei Kirilenko? If Boozer leaves, and the team is focused around Williams and Milsap, is there still room for AK-47? Are trading for these guys realistic? I dunno.

When looking at our three biggest contracts, Monta and Maggette seem to be the most expendable. According to the Golden State Worriers blog, we were the worst rebounding team in NBA history. So Biedrins leaving, who is one of the best rebounding centers in the league, doesn't make sense at all. Of the three, I'm more inclined to trade Maggette because he's older and doesn't really fit on our team that well. We really need a 3 who has a more diverse skillset and can play both sides of the court compared to what he currently can do. Although we just signed him to a contract, Williams should go as well. Assuming we could bring back a player of Kirilenko's or Iguodala's caliber, we have a logjam of one-dimensional players at the 3 spot. Morrow won't be under contract and is still very raw, and Azubuike is untradable because of injury. Buike did look a little bit more rounded in his short stint this season anyway.

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What's this? A potential Warrior that can play defense?



I really like the idea of Maggette, Williams, and the sixth pick for Iggy. The Sixers will be getting back two of our most productive players and a little cap relief for the next few seasons. Iguodala, as the star player who was tasked with salvaging his flagging franchise, failed in his expectations. ............Really, is this reality? A fair assessment of his work for a poor Sixers team? Of course not, but I'm willing to go with popular opinion as long as that's what the Sixers' front office believes too. To me he's capable of answering our biggest question mark: what do we do at the 3 spot? The answer is to acquire the 4th best small forward in the league in terms of wins produced. He's capable of almost everything that we need from a swingman: rebounding, excellent passing, and good defensive ability. He's also still young and could grow with the team (at 26 his production's probably apexed, but he will be this good for some time). He can't shoot the 3 all that well (or shoot in general), but we could live with that given his excellent skillset and the abundance of great scorers we already have. Most interesting of all, Monta might actually defer to a player who was the star on his previous team. A controlled Ellis is more likely to morph back into the 07-08 season guy whom we all are praying for to return.

So we would be looking at this kind of lineup:

1-Curry/Watson
2-Ellis/Morrow
3-Iguodala/Azubuike
4-Wright/Randolph
5-Biedrins/Turiaf

A little small, sure, but with a high degree of talent; and if Berri is to be believed, one that could reach 50+ wins in the West.
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I'm pretty sure Gasol owned him after this photo was taken, but that's not the point.



Kirilenko seems less likely given his rebound in production this season. He's been talked about before in great detail, but he's a star capable of playing elite defense. There's also a chance he could return to his days of former glory. Who knows, maybe he's been shackled down all these years in Sloan's system, waiting to become the superstar he resembled earlier in his career. Even if that never happens, he's already quite good. He's great at getting the offensive rebound (twice as good as Iggy in fact) and not afraid to guard any position. A lineup of

1-Curry
2-Ellis
3-Kirilenko
4-Wright
5-Biedrins

is longer, and might be good for playoff contention in our stacked conference. Assuming they pan out, I could see immediate uses for any combination of Johnson, Aminu, Monroe, or Aldrich in Utah. They need to get bigger and more athletic, and this is their chance.

I'm not sure about the rest of you, but I am tired of waiting for prospects to pan out. Tired of high-upside guys getting yanked for basic stuff like boxing out. I want to win right now. Getting these players (or some others) would help do that right away without necessarily sacrificing our future. What do you think? And are there any other trades out there?

This FanPost is a submission from a member of the mighty Golden State of Mind community. While we're all here to throw up that W, these words do not necessarily reflect the views of the GSoM Crew. Still, chances are the preceding post is Unstoppable Baby!