The Golden State Warriors are reportedly focused on the post-Stephen Curry era over maximizing the final years of the sharpshooter, who turns 39 next March.
Amid the reports, several Warriors trade ideas have been doing the rounds, with the Bay Area franchise landing a surplus of draft picks. However, none of those potential trade offers would guarantee the Warriors their next franchise star.
Enter Dylan Harper, a bona fide future superstar, and the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs reportedly have no intention of moving Harper, making the second-year guard untouchable in talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, after their loss to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, the Spurs may have had a change of stance.
Warriors Trade Idea Lands Dylan Harper
Warriors would receive: Dylan Harper, De’Aaron Fox, 2028 first-round pick (via BOS) and 2028 first-round pick swap (via SAS)
Spurs would receive: Stephen Curry
The trade won’t set up the Warriors with a chest of draft picks, but will give them a 20-year-old stud who projects to be a perennial All-Star and All-NBA player. Furthermore, De’Aaron Fox, who mentored Harper during his rookie season, would be a nice stopgap replacement for Curry as the Warriors begin their rebuilding process.
One can’t blame the Spurs for being strictly opposed to the idea of moving Harper, who averaged 14.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists across his first 23 playoff games. However, the Spurs have a logjam in the backcourt, with Stephon Castle asserting himself as the clear-cut long-term point guard of the Victor Wembanyama-led franchise. That’s precisely why Harper is expected to come off the bench again as a sophmore despite emerging as San Antonio’s third-best player in their run to the Finals.
While Harper has shut down rumors of being unhappy with a bench role, the Spurs may at some point make some tough decisions to give Wemby a shot at his first title.
Warriors Eye Post-Stephen Curry Era
The Warriors are so focused on the post-Curry era that they reportedly turned down the idea of landing Anthony Davis this summer, holding onto their chest of draft assets. The move for AD may have also landed them LeBron James as a free agent.
According to Warriors insider Tim Kawakami, the Warriors are unwilling to make any hasty moves just to give Curry a better shot at winning his fifth ring.
“What (team governor Joe) Lacob wants to do, and this might get Warriors fans mad. He wants to build the next team after Steph Curry,” Kawakami said recently.
“I don’t know how possible that is, but Lacob has a very keen interest in… this organization’s going to show what it can do with Steph Curry and then after Steph Curry.”
If the Warriors are serious about investing in life after Curry, they’d be hard-pressed to find a better cornerstone than Dylan Harper.
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