GSoM friend Tim Kawakami dropped the following in his piece How might the Warriors win this series next season? for the San Jose Mercury about the Warriors making a blockbuster deal for Kevin Garnett this offseason:
Which brings us to Garnett, who has been on Mullin's radar for years and might be available this summer, since he can become a free agent in 2008.
He'd be perfect, obviously - rangy, tough, an ideal athlete to slide next to Davis and Jackson, probably dying to get out of Minnesota and apparently reasonably interested in the Bay Area hoops scene.
If there's a Garnett bidding war, the Warriors have enough ammunition to be competitive. But would they want to siphon off the future (for Garnett, who turns 31 on Saturday) by offering, say, Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis and Patrick O'Bryant?
Should the Warriors just go for it, damn the future?
Or would Minnesota demand Jason Richardson? I doubt Nelson would shed tears, but Mullin cherishes the work ethic and loyalty Richardson has given the organization.
It's great to hear that KG's interested in coming to the Bay Area. Believe me, we've been interested in him for years if not a full decade. If the Warriors are going to take the next step from entertaining playoff participant to title contender they're going to need to add a dominant frontcourt player and KG would be a perfect big man for Nellieball. He's a supremely skilled 7-footer and routinely ranks as one of the leading rebounders in the NBA. KG would instantly vault the Warriors to contender status provided they could retain most of their core.
FREE KG!
Given their young talent pool and newly earned respect around the league as the golden boys, the Warriors are perfectly situated to pull off a deal for KG. He has at least 3-4 years left as a top 10 player in the league, a status that no other player on this roster will ever attain unless BD miraculously plays a full 82 game season. Since KG keeps himself in such great shape and hasn't had any major injuries, he'll most likely play at a very high level into his late 30's. If the Warriors have any chance at all to pull the trigger on a deal for KG while keeping Baron Davis and at least 3 out of 5 from the core that's currently on the books- Jason Richardson, Stephen Jackson, Monta Ellis, Andris Biedrins, and Al Harrington- they have to pull the trigger.
Kevin McHale, one of the league's worst GMs, and the TWolves are realistically probably going to want both Monta Ellis and Andris Biedrins included in the trade. Although teaming up KG and Andris down low would be ideal, if that's what it takes, so be it. Both Monta and Andris had a great seasons for the Warriors, but neither has provided any evidence that they will ever be franchise players. Monta looks to be in the mold of a Tony Parker; a nice player no doubt, but nowhere near a true superstar that you build around. Because of his extremely raw game and awkward playing style it's extremely difficult to project how good Biedrins will be. His ceiling doesn't appear that of a dominant 20-10 big man with the glaring holes currently in his game.
Neither player is a sure bet, but KG definitely is. You know you're getting one of the top players in the league who's good for about 22 point, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal and nearly 2 blocks a game. Those are the numbers of a dominant force on the hardwood. KG brings it nightly on the defensive end, so he's actually even better than those eye-popping numbers would suggest.
JRich is a Warriors Nation and Chris Mullin fave, but doesn't seem to have really won the heart of Nellie. Part of it is probably that JR was injured most of this past year, but another part of it is that Richardson made a lot of mistakes on the defensive end this past season especially in the Jazz series, isn't a dependable free throw shooter, has limited handles for a 2-guard, and settles for jumpers too often instead of taking it strong to the hole and collecting and 1's. I wouldn't be so quick to move such a dedicated player and good locker room guy who works hard, gives you over 20 points a game, can dunk the ball like no other, rebounds exceptionally well for a guard, and knocks down the trifecta with good accuracy. But if it takes JRich to get KG, the Warriors would be fools to say no.
There's a lot to lose this offseason if the Warriors don't make a big splash. Bring back this same roster and Nellie's probably headed back to Hawaii. He's already maxed out this current roster's abilities and there's a very real possibily that the Dubs will lose glue guy Matt Barnes and get nothing in return this summer. It would be amazing if Nellie, Mullin, and Higgins could find an instant impact player with the #18 draft spot too. Something big needs to happen trade-wise or else this franchise will be taking a step back, not forward this offseason in a loaded Western Conference.
What realistic deals can you put together for KG using ESPN's Trade Machine? Post them in the comments.
Also see:
- The Bloggers' Bidding War for Kevin Garnett: Bring KG to the Bay!
- Help Kevin Garnett Find the Warriors
99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!