Even as demands increase for the Warriors to completely change their team before the 2024-25 season, Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady thinks the team only needs to make a few small changes to have a chance at winning the championship again.
One of those changes would be for the Warriors to get Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell.
“I think they need another person who can score,” McGrady said on his Instagram account. “I still believe in Klay [Thompson]. I still believe in Steph [Curry]. Draymond [Green] had a great season, he just needs to reduce the antics. Look at someone like Donovan Mitchell, right? I don’t think he’s happy in Cleveland.”
The former two-time scoring champion also highlighted the Warriors’ lack of size, which was evident in their play-in loss to the Kings in a terrible way. During that game on April 16, the Warriors let the Kings grab a significant 15 offensive rebounds. As a result, Sacramento gained 20 second-chance points and 54 points in the paint.
McGrady: Warriors Need Size
McGrady thinks the Warriors need a dependable big man to make sure they aren’t dominated 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 carry out a trade for Mitchell, they’d likely have to 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 team reportedly reached out to the Lakers about LeBron James being available before the February 8 NBA trade deadline.
During the 2024 NBA All-Star Game simulcast with Charles Barkley, Green shared 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.'”
Aside from the obvious trade assets like Kuminga, Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski, the Warriors have limited draft assets to carry out a trade for a star like Mitchell.
According to ESPN cap expert Bobby Marks, the Warriors will essentially use up all their draft assets for the near 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.
If all else fails, the Warriors have the option to trade Thompson to the Cavaliers in exchange for another player, as long as Thompson agrees to move to Cleveland.
