Golden State Warriors: 5 Potential Low-Cost Trade Targets

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Jan 20, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward Nerlens Noel (4) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Nerlens Noel

Disclaimer: It’d be really hard for the Warriors to pull this off. Now that recent Jahlil Okafor trade rumors have surfaced, it appears the Philadelphia 76ers have realized trading him instead of Nerlens Noel makes far more sense to clear their center logjam.

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But if there’s any chance Noel is still available because of his declining numbers — 8.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG and 0.8 BPG in 18.0 MPG — Golden State should think about picking up the phone and making a few offers.

There are plenty of obstacles to overcome, aside from the fact that the Sixers may prefer to keep Noel over Okafor. With only one year and $4.4 million remaining on Noel’s salary, the Warriors would find it nearly impossible to retain the big man during his restricted free agency in the same summer where Curry, KD, Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston may all be hitting the market.

Putting together a deal that would satisfy Philly is also a difficult endeavor, and if they’re not interested in a 2019 first-rounder being the centerpiece of the package, trade talks like these would be fruitless. In our first deal, the Warriors go all in by offering Zaza Pachulia, Ian Clark, James Michael McAdoo and the pick.

The Sixers get a veteran center who can come off the bench, add some point guard depth/youth with Clark, and try to find a place for JMM in the frontcourt.

Another alternative could be Pachulia, JMM, Damian Jones and the first-rounder.

Trading Pachulia would heartless after he took such a steep discount in free agency to provide the Warriors with a starting center, and it’s unlikely Philadelphia would be okay with adding that many frontcourt players when the whole point of trading Noel is to clear out the logjam at center.

That likely rules out another possible trade that works salary-wise, which would be Golden State sending JaVale McGee, JMM, Jones and the first-rounder for Noel.

Could the Warriors get away with another alternative like JaVale McGee, Clark, JMM and the first-rounder? Probably not.

Another young piece would need to be added if the Sixers had no interest in a veteran leader like Zaza, which leads us to the possible inclusion of Kevon Looney. A package of Looney, JMM and Clark might be more attractive, supplying youth and potential despite two of the players being bigs.

As you can see, the Warriors would have plenty of various trade offers they could make for Noel, but they all have their very obvious pitfalls. It would really come down to whether Philly would be okay with a 2019 first round pick being the crown jewel of a Noel trade.

There’s also this potential trade, where things get crazy with the Sixers including T.J. McConnell to replace Clark if the Dubs are willing to offer another first-rounder in 2021:

However, in almost every scenario, the Warriors would either be giving up an integral piece (Pachulia, McGee) or a young prospect (Looney, Jones) for an injury-prone big who has struggled to earn minutes for an 18-34 team.

Noel is only 22 years old and still has Defensive Player of the Year potential. People also shouldn’t forget that just last year, he averaged a very promising 11.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. If the Dubs could find a way to keep him with that star-studded core, they’d be absolutely fearsome for years to come.

Next: 10 NBA Teams That Should Trade For Eric Bledsoe

But that’s a lot to give up for a player who has yet to tap into all that defensive potential, especially with the Warriors in the middle of a season where they expect to contend for a championship. It could be a potential coup if they got Noel and kept him healthy, but the Warriors would be one injury away from everything blowing up in their faces.

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