Trade No. 3 – Dallas Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks Receive: F Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors Receive: G Tim Hardaway Jr, G Jalen Brunson, DAL 2022 1st Round Pick

Whether you agree with it or not, Draymond Green holds a very high value to the Golden State Warriors, which is why the Dallas Mavericks would have to put together a decent-sized trade package to bring him into their organization. Right now, the Warriors have a major financial problem, as they have gone “all-in” on remaining contenders and as a result, are $63.6M over the salary cap and $40.1M over the tax threshold.

Golden State will be paying millions of dollars in taxes this season if they keep this roster together, which is why they may look to trade one of their bigger contracts at some point this season. Steph Curry is definitely off-limits and the Warriors will not even discuss trading him, but Draymond Green and his four-year, $100M contract is negotiable for the right price.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jalen Brunson are two very attractive names from the Mavericks for the Warriors, especially given their struggles on the offensive end of the court this season. Both players can be high-level scorers and impact players in any rotations for Golden State.

The 28-year old Hardaway Jr. is now in his 8th season in the NBA and the best aspect of his game is his shooting abilities. Over the years, he has evolved into a great all-around offensive-talent, but the peak of his game is catch-and-shoot opportunities on the wing with the Mavericks Over the course of his career, THJ has shot 35.5% from three-point range and with Steph Curry being the facilitator and main ball-handler of this team, Hardaway Jr. would have a field day in catch-and-shoot opportunities in the corner. 

Jalen Brunson is just 24-years old and already has championship pedigree. Brunson was a 2x NCAA Champion with Villanova and earned a slew of awards not too long ago in college. In 2018, Brunson was awarded the Naismith Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year award and was also the recipient of the John R. Wooden Award for the most outstanding collegiate basketball player in the country. While he is a younger guard and still learning the do’s and don’ts of the NBA, he knows what it takes to win, which can be very valuable for a franchise with a rich history of winning.

The most important aspect about this trade with the Mavericks for Golden State though is the first-round pick they would be receiving. Golden State has the rights to Minnesota’s first-round pick next year, which is projected to be a lottery-pick at this point, and with the addition of the Mavs’ first-round pick in 2022, the Warriors would have 2 first-round picks in the 2022 NBA Draft. 

The goal of the Warriors’ front-office right now is to continue drafting high-level talent to build a youthful core for the future to play alongside guys like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in their pursuit for more titles. Not only can they continue building this young core through the draft by making this trade with the Mavericks, but they can continue contending for championships for years to come.