The Golden State Warriors front office reportedly spent the past few weeks sifting through the league’s trade market, looking for potential valuable additions to their roster.
On Saturday, they ultimately decided to pull the trigger.
Trade Speculation Between Warriors-Nets Comes To Fruition
Recently, the Warriors and Nets were reportedly engaged in “trade dialogue”, with Golden State’s interest primarily in several of Brooklyn’s key starters. This smoke turned out to be fire when, according to ESPN’s NBA Insider Shams Charania, the Warriors moved to acquire veteran point guard Dennis Schröder.
In exchange for Schröder and a second-round pick, Brooklyn received De’Anthony Melton‘s $12.8 million expiring contract and three additional second-round picks.
Initial speculation suggested that Golden State was interested in Nets starter Cam Johnson, who’s quickly emerged as one of the hottest names ahead of the NBA trade deadline. However, as Forbes’ NBA reporter Evan Sidery indicated, Brooklyn stressed that if they were to part ways with Johnson, they would need to acquire Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga in return.
The Dubs were unwilling to entertain this, so both sides shifted their talks to Schröder. A deal was agreed upon a short while later.
What Dennis Schröder Brings To Golden State
Schröder joins Golden State while playing some of the best ball of his career.
While appearing in 23 contests this season for the Nets, the 31-year-old veteran has been impressive, registering 18.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.6 assists per game. Over this stretch, Schröder has also been efficient with his scoring, shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 38.7 percent from behind the arc.
That said, Schröder should fit in well within the Warriors’ rotation.
Through 24 games, the Warriors’ offense has been heavily reliant on the three-ball, with the team chucking up the third-most attempts per game in the association at 41. Adding Schröder gives the Warriors another threat from long-range, with the eleven-year professional knocking down a career-high 6.5 attempts per contest this season. Schröder is no slouch on the defensive side of the ball either, as the 6-foot-1, 175-pound guard demonstrates the ability to put pressure on opposing ball-handlers and force the occasional steal.
In addition to his elite ability to score at all three levels, Schröder’s play-making prowess allows him to dish out assists and create shots for fellow teammates, which should help him to be quite effective within a Warriors’ rotation that consists of several high-level off-ball scorers.
https://twitter.com/ramonishim/status/1868048993990639980?s=12
Schröder’s inclusion in the Dubs’ rotation relieves some of the offensive workload on two-time MVP Stephen Curry and gives the Warriors a high-level ballhandler to lead their second unit.
Initial Takeaways From The Trade
Looking at this trade pound-for-pound, it appears to be particularly favorable for the Warriors.
In recent weeks, the Warriors’ rotation has seemed to lack the necessary offensive firepower to compete with the top teams in the association night in and night out. Acquiring a player like Dennis Schröder makes sense for Golden State, as his scoring prowess and elite play-making ability can help solve some of the issues that have surfaced within the Dubs’ rotation recently.
The Warriors’ unwillingness to include Kuminga in any trade package is interesting and further demonstrates how much the Dubs’ front office values the 22-year-old. Just a short time ago, Warriors’ Head Coach Steve Kerr announced Kuminga would play a larger role in the Warriors’ rotation moving forward, even making him a permanent starter for the foreseeable future.
https://twitter.com/957thegame/status/1867751612531585473?s=12
By avoiding involving him in any potential trade package, the Warriors continue to commit to Kuminga’s growth and development within the organization.
As for the Nets, this deal allows them to acquire draft capital in exchange for Schröder, who likely wasn’t a part of the team’s long-term plan beyond this season. Ultimately, it seems to have worked out in both parties’ favors, as Schröder’s excellent play this season has landed him on a competitive roster while his former team inches closer to their assumed goal of capturing the Flagg.
While it will take some time to evaluate this move for the Warriors, at face value, the Schröder-deal seems like solid work from Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the Golden State front office.
Leave a comment