The Golden State Warriors had a very quiet trade deadline in which they only made two minor deals.
The deal sending Marquese Chriss and cash considerations to the San Antonio Spurs in return for the draft rights to Cady Lalanne.
The second deal sent Brad Wannamaker, a second-round pick, and cash considerations to the Charlotte Hornets for a protected second-round pick.
The Golden State Warriors spent the trade deadline making under the radar moves that will not do much to improve their playoff hopes for the 2021 season. In the first trade, the Warriors received a young and raw prospect in Lalanne. He attended UMass before being the 55th overall pick of the 2015 draft to the Spurs.
The Golden State Warriors had a quiet deadline where they made one move. There were a few players they could have added that would have benefitted the team.
Lalanne spent one season in the G-League in the 2015-2016 season. He played 50 games with the Austin Spurs and started in 28 of them.
During his time in the G-League, Lalanne averaged 13.3 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Interestingly, he also shot 33 percent from three. An above-average percentage for a center.
Since his season in the G-League, he has played in the Haitian league, playing in his home country. Between his time with the Spurs developmental team and the Haitian league, Lalanne has traveled the world playing for teams in multiple countries.
If he ends up being a diamond in the rough, Warriors general manager Bob Myers will look like a genius, however, it is a very low-risk high-reward gamble at the moment.
The second trade was as close to a non-factor in terms of change in the roster as you can get. The Warriors likely will not get anything back from the Hornets for Wannamaker, however, he was not a key contributor to the team either.
There were three players that the Warriors could have traded for that would have easily landed them a playoff spot in a hypercompetitive Western Conference.
#3: Victor Oladipo
The first player that the Golden State Warriors should have traded for was Victor Oladipo.
After being traded from the Indiana Pacers to the Houston Rockets earlier in the season, he found himself on one of the worst teams in the league that was thrust into a premature rebuild after the departure of James Harden.
While Oladipo was putting up solid stats on the Rockets, he was not in the ideal situation for a player in his athletic prime.
Being on a team that could contend for a playoff run, Oladipo would likely be much happier on a roster like the Warriors.
It would not have taken much for the Warriors to add Oladipo to the roster. He was traded to the Miami Heat at the deadline for a package that was not very impressive.
Oladipo was sent to the Heat in return for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley, and a 2022 pick swap.
It is hard to believe that the Warriors could not have pieced together a package that matched or was better than what landed the Heat Oladipo.
If he were to stay healthy, he would have been a perfect fit on the Warriors. He shoots a serviceable 32 percent from three. However, his true value comes from his driving, playmaking, and defense.
With Oladipo on the roster, once Klay Thompson was healthy and back in the lineup, the Warriors would have one of the top defensive duos.
#2: J.J. Redick
The second player that the Golden State Warriors should have traded for at the deadline was J.J. Redick.
Heading into the deadline, it was expected that Redick would be moved from the New Orleans Pelicans. It was clear that he did not fit the timetable that the Pelicans were currently on. With most of their key players being in the first few years of their career, it does not make sense to keep a 36-year-old Redick on the roster.
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However, he would have been a great fit on a team like the Warriors. As any NBA fan knows, Stephen Curry and the Warriors completely revolutionized the 3-point shot and in turn, the way that basketball is played in this era.
With Redick being one of the best 3-point shooters that the game has ever seen, he would fit right into the pace and space offense that the Warriors are known by.
Over his career, Redick has shot an astronomical 41.5% from three. While he is a liability on the defensive end with his age making it difficult for him to stay in front of almost anyone in the league, he would have been a great 3-point specialist to come off of the bench.
One of the reasons why the Warriors may have held off on pursuing Redick is that he wanted to be traded to a team on the east coast to be closer to his family. While some have speculated that this was his way of trying to make it onto the Brooklyn Nets roster, it did not end up working out for him.
He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with Nicolo Melli. In return, the Pelicans received James Johnson, Wes Iwundu, a second-round pick, and cash considerations.
As long as the Warriors could find a player to match the contract of Redick that they were okay with moving on from, this would not have been a difficult trade to make.
#1: Aaron Gordon
The final player that the Golden State Warriors should have traded for was Aaron Gordon.
The Orlando Magic spent the trade deadline clearing out their roster of all players that were older, not on their rookie contract, and could win them some games.
It is clear that they are entering a major rebuild and as a result of this, they were trading their players for pennies on the dollar.
The Warriors could have really capitalized on this and landed Gordon. He was eventually traded to the Denver Nuggets along with Gary Clark in return for Gary Harris, R.J. Hampton, and future first-round picks.
This is another package that the Warriors had more than enough trade pieces that the Magic would have loved to acquire in return for Gordon.
Along with this, he would have been a great fit on the roster. He has a very similar skillset to Draymond Green. The only major difference is Gordon betters Green in scoring while Green has the edge in playmaking and rebounding.
Both players have similar builds as undersized power forwards who are capable of playing the center position in small-ball lineups.
As surprising as it may sound, the two are very similar this season in terms of defense. The stats back it up as well. Gordon averages 1.7 steals and 0.7 blocks per game while Green averages 1.5 steals and 0.8 blocks per game this season. Along with this, Green has a defensive rating of 108 while Gordon has a defensive rating of 109.
The Golden State Warriors could have made a big splash at the trade deadline for a late-season playoff push and championship aspirations once Klay Thompson returned. However, they played it safe and could be waiting until the draft or free agency to make their big move.