The 2021-22 season is going to be a pivotal time for the Golden State Warriors not only because they get Klay Thompson back for the first-time since the 2019 NBA Finals, but because they have a real chance to be a championship contender once again. Not only do they have their “Big 3” back in Steph, Klay and Draymond, but the Warriors also have guys like Andrew Wiggins, James Wiseman, Jordan Poole and their two rookies in Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody.
Not to mention, the Warriors also signed Otto Porter Jr. and Nemanja Bjelica in free agency so far. This Golden State team is stacking up to make another run at a championship, but there is still one huge domino that has yet to fall. Kelly Oubre Jr. is an unrestricted free agent whose market has seemed to stall.
No team in the league has shown interest in paying him a ton of money, so could the Warriors use this opportunity to potentially leverage him in a sign-and-trade deal? There are many teams around the league who do not view Oubre Jr. as a $20M+ guy, but for some teams, they could look to add him at the expense of a contract they’d like to move and since he is only 25-years-old.
A very intriguing scenario to think about for the Warriors is if they could potentially send Kelly Oubre Jr. to the Sacramento Kings. Why would they do this you ask? Well, Buddy Hield is a player the Kings have been shopping this offseason and he could fit in perfectly next to Steph and Klay on the perimeter. He’s been a name featured in trade rumors around the NBA, but could Golden State be the one to land him?
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Doing a sign-and-trade for Buddy Hield would add yet another $20M+ contract to the Warriors’ payroll, forcing their ownership to pay even more in taxes for the 2021-22 season, but this move would surely be the final piece in an “all-out” movement to make it back to the NBA Finals and contend for another championship.
The Golden State Warriors’ championship window is closing in the Western Conference and if they are going to capitalize on their “Big 3” still being able to play at a high-level, then paying even more in taxes could be worth it from a management/ownership perspective. Nonetheless, let’s take a look at what this sign-and-trade involving Kelly Oubre Jr. could look like.
