Even as calls grow louder for the Warriors to overhaul their roster ahead of the 2024-25 season, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady believes the franchise needs to make only a few minor tweaks to get back into title contention.
Among those changes would be for the Warriors to acquire Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
“I think they need another scorer,” McGrady said via his Instagram account. “I still believe in Klay [Thompson]. I still believe in Steph [Curry]. Draymond [Green] had a phenomenal season, he just needs to cut out the antics. Look at somebody like Donovan Mitchell, right? I don’t think he’s happy in Cleveland.”
The former two-time scoring champion also pointed to the Warriors’ lack of size, which manifested in their play-in loss to the Kings in the worst way possible. During that game on April 16, the Warriors allowed the Kings to collect a whopping 15 offensive rebounds. As a result, Sacramento amassed 20 second-chance points and 54 points in the paint.
McGrady: Warriors Need Size
McGrady believes the Warriors need a reliable big man to ensure they don’t get bullied in the post in the 2024-25 season.
“I think they need size,” McGrady continued. “They need a big man that can defend and rebound. They don’t necessarily need a big man that can score, they just need someone that can defend and rebound. I thought Dwight Howard would have been perfect for them. I know they have to do a lot, but you still have your core guys that I still truly believe in. So, if you make those necessary moves, I believe they can play for a championship.”
Will the Warriors Trade Jonathan Kuminga?
For the Warriors to pull off a trade for Mitchell, they’d have to presumably part ways with Jonathan Kuminga, a player who is reportedly “untouchable” in trade talks. In fact, Draymond Green revealed that he advised the Warriors against trading Kuminga when the franchise reportedly contacted the Lakers about LeBron James’ availability ahead of the February 8 NBA trade deadline.
During the 2024 NBA All-Star Game simulcast with Charles Barkley, Green revealed the advice he gave to the Warriors front office.
“When I talked to Joe [Lacob] on the phone and we were discussing what we had to give up [for James], I said, ‘If it’s Kuminga, the answer is no.’”
Besides the obvious trade chips such as Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors have limited draft assets to pull off a trade for a star such as Mitchell.
According to ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks, the Warriors will essentially exhaust all their draft assets for the foreseeable future if they decide to go that route in the 2024 offseason.
“The Warriors are allowed to trade their 2025 first-round pick starting on the night of the draft,” Marks wrote on April 17. “They have a maximum of two firsts allowable to move (2025/2027 or 2026/2028) in the next seven years. Golden State can also trade its 2030 first but only if it falls in between 1-20. The Wizards will receive the Warriors’ 2030 first if between 21-30. They are allowed to swap their own first in the next seven years. The Warriors have two second-round picks available.”
As a last resort option, the Warriors can use impending agent Thompson in a sign-and-trade deal with the Cavaliers — provided the sharpshooter is willing to relocate to Cleveland.
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