Dubs in-depth: Which potential trade makes sense for the Warriors?

We don’t know where the Golden State Warriors will be picking in the 2020 NBA Draft, but we do know it will be in the top-five.

With Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green all expected to be back for the start of the 2020-21 season, many are expecting the Dubs to be back in title contention. That makes the 2020 Draft a big one for general manager Bob Myers.

ESPN’s NBA Insider’s did a deep dive on what Golden State could do to improve the roster around the core three players. Bobby Marks came up with a few potential trade partners who are also in the lottery:

The Knicks have two first-round picks — Nos. 5 and 25 — and two valuable future firsts from Dallas in 2021 (unprotected) and 2023 (top-10 protected). They also have a group of unproven young players, including Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox II. The Bulls currently have the No. 7 pick and forward Lauri Markkanen to potentially interest the Warriors. The same with Detroit at No. 5 with shooting guard Luke Kennard.

Out of the three possibilities Marks suggests, the New York Knicks’ package interests me the least. Sure, getting a second pick in the first-round would be nice, but the chances are the Warriors won’t be getting a player who in come and in and play meaningful minutes right away. There isn’t much separation between the players ranked Nos. 3 through No. 7, but the value of moving down a few spots just to add another project isn’t conducive with Golden State’s plan. Neither Ntilikina, or Knox excite me. Ntilikina handcuffs the team on the offensive end, and although Knox is on 20 years old, he hasn’t shown enough to convince the NBA world that he will be an impact player.

The Pistons trade would be interesting. Kennard adds another scoring guard, who would give the squad some more pop off the bench. Kennard is only 24 years old, who will be relatively cheap for the next two seasons. The leftie averaged 15.3 points, and shot 39.9% from deep with Detroit last year.

Markkanen is an intriguing fit. He’s only 23, and will be up for an extension after next season.. He’s 7’0, but isn’t known for his rim protection, something the Dubs will need on the back end. But, there is no doubt what he brings on the offensive end. Markkanen is a smooth-shooting big man, who can stretch the floor for the talented Warrriors’ backcourt. He is better suited as a catch-and-shoot player, with 99.1% of his made 3-pointers came off of assists, per basketball reference, so he doesn’t need the ball in his hands to contribute offensively.

The downside of Markkanen is his defense. He ranked 64th among NBA power forwards in defensive real plus-minus, and his defensive rating hasn’t been below 110 during his three seasons. But, I would take a gamble on this because it adds the No. 7 pick as well. Golden State could potentially add a player like Isaac Okoro, Tyrese Haliburton, or Onyeka Okongwu with the seventh pick, giving head coach Steve Kerr another option in his rotation.

With all the uncertainty surrounding pre-draft workouts, and scouting, it will be an unprecedented draft.

Which of Marks’ three proposed deals is the most attractive to you?

Warriors legend Tim Hardaway thinks the Dubs got it right by acquiring Andrew Wiggins. The former NBA All-Star believes Wiggins will be a great fit next to Curry and Thompson. (h/t NBC Bay Area’s Drew Shiller)

With the pandemic causing a lot of uncertainty in the NBA world, we don’t know if fans will be back allowed in the buildings next season. The Athletic’s Anthony Slater looks at how it could impact the Warriors if the Chase Center remains empty in 2021.

The economics of free agency are going to play a huge factor in what kind of deals the available players will be offered. Fansided’s Justin Fried suggests one big man could be the ideal fit with the Dubs next season.

Who are the best Warriors since 1990? NBC Bay Area’s Monte Poole counts down Nos. 11 through No. 25 on the list.