GSoM friend Tim Kawakami's got the scoop [Talking Points]:
But, if the Warriors don't experience a total lottery luck-out, then [Larry] Riley's mandate is to go get a proven, vital young veteran.
The main targeted veteran, I'm told, is Toronto's Chris Bosh-no surprise, given how hard Riley tried to get him at last year's trade deadline.
You can tell CB4 wants to play in the Wild Wild West.
Jump for a few quick thoughts.
If Larry Riley can bring in Chris Bosh:
- that will give him instant credibility as a front office executive. The media and many fans seem to have already written him off as nothing but a "puppet" which he very admirable directly addressed in his opening press conference. I doubt everyone would be singing that song if he netted Bosh.
- he will have done something Chris Mullin couldn't do as a front office executive of the Warriors for 5 long years- bring in a legit star power forward.
- he will have upgraded this roster like Beyonce. Bosh is a superior player to anyone on this current Golden State Warriors roster.
- for just something like Andris Biedrins, Brandan Wright, and Marco Belinelli (as Tim tossed out) the Dubs have to do it. Not that he isn't a very nice player already, but Biedrins has pretty much topped out unless he dedicates himself to playing good defense and improving his incredibly limited offensive repertoire. Wright has proven to be injury-prone and incredibly soft in his first two seasons in the league- refusing to part ways with him right now is fairly ridiculous. Belinelli is a borderline NBA talent who has played no more than a dozen or so decent games at this level. They're all expendable.
- without moving Anthony Randolph then I'm all for it- I'd be ecstatic. AR appeared to be a cry-baby with questionable work ethic and low hoops IQ for most of the season. Credit both Randolph's re-dedication and the coaching staff's patience and ultimatums for the intriguing young talent we saw at the end of the season.
- for a package containing both Biedrins and Randolph the Warriors will still be winners in the trade. Unlike Biedrins, Bosh is a player other teams have to plan around and strategize against. He's the real deal and is pretty much guaranteed to be the Dubs first All-Star since that man who had trouble feeding his family on an NBA paycheck. I'm more than amused by Randolph's ridiculous upside (which is saying something because I rarely buy into player development or mythical playing potential for raw young players- especially on the Dubs), but it could take him years to average 22 points and 10 rebounds with about as many assists as turnovers which is what Bosh can do NOW if AR ever even gets there (which is not a given by any stretch of the imagination). After 1 playoff appearance in 15 years, do you really want to wait to see if he might become a 20-10 big man? If there's a way to win now by cashing in on his potential in the present, then it doesn't make much sense to wait.
- the Warriors better have a good back-up plan if he opts out and leaves in the summer of 2010. Still, wouldn't you rather have Bosh's Bird rights as your trading chip than anyone else on this less than stellar Warriors roster?
- the Warriors will not win under 30 games next season and actually be watchable. Shoot they might even instantly be good enough for that P-word.
Now that's a lot of if's.
You win in this league with superstars and stars. I'm not convinced that Bosh is a superstar or will ever be one. I do think that's a big red flag that the Craptors couldn't even qualify for the "Not-So-Elite-8" in the Leastern Conference this past season. But he is a legit All-Star caliber big man and a proven commodity (Career Numbers via Yahoo! Sports). Those are hard to come by, especially for the Golden State Warriors who haven't had an All-Star power forward since Nate the Great Thurmond in 1974. (NINETEEN SEVENTY-FOUR for crying out loud!)
If the Warriors can net trade Chris Bosh this summer (and I'm not saying the Raptors are dumb enough to do it for what "assets" the Warriors have), they've got to do it. It could be a franchise altering move just like the trade for Baron Davis back in 2005.
BRING BOSH TO THE BAY.
99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!
From the golden archives: