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The Golden State Warriors are reportedly believed to be a potential trade partner for the rebuilding Brooklyn Nets this season.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Nets have received interest regarding forwards Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, and guard Dennis Schröder, and have had “exploratory conversations” about trading them.
Charania added that the Warriors have shown interest in all three of Johnson, Finney-Smith and Schröder, and rival teams believe they are willing to use De’Anthony Melton’s $12.8 million expiring contract and draft picks to make a deal happen.
At 14-9, the Warriors are currently fifth in the Western Conference, but given that the 12th-place team is just three games behind them, their positioning is far from safe.
Since winning their fourth championship in eight seasons in 2022, the Warriors have undergone some significant changes and had their fair share of struggles.
The Warriors went 44-38 and were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in 2023, and they followed that up by going 46-36 and getting knocked out in the postseason play-in tournament last season.
Klay Thompson, who was a key part of the Warriors’ past four championship teams, subsequently signed with the Dallas Mavericks as a free agent during the offseason.
That left Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as the nucleus, along with veteran Andrew Wiggins, developing youngsters in Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski Moses Moody and Trayce Jackson-Davis, and offseason acquisitions in Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson and Melton.
While Curry continues to play at a high level and Green is the ultimate glue guy, most of Golden State’s other players have largely disappointed this season.
None of the Dubs’ young players have taken a significant step forward, plus Anderson has been a virtual nonfactor and Melton suffered a season-ending knee injury.
With all of that in mind, the Warriors could use some reinforcements, and a trade with the Nets could possibly land them one, two or even three major contributors in one fell swoop.
Johnson, Schröder and Finney-Smith are the Nets’ second-, third- and fourth-leading scorers this season behind only Cam Thomas.
The 28-year-old Johnson is averaging 18.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.3 three-pointers made and 2.9 assists per game, while shooting 43.4 percent from long range. He is also signed through the 2026-27 season, so he could be a long-term piece in Golden State.
Schröder, 31, is playing on an expiring contract, and he is enjoying one of the best statistical seasons of his career with 18.6 points, 6.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, 2.5 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game.
The 31-year-old Finney-Smith is also potentially on an expiring deal, although he does have a player option for next season. He is averaging 10.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 three-pointers made and 1.8 assists per contest, and he is shooting a sizzling 43.2 percent from beyond the arc.
All three players would seemingly be a great fit in Warriors head coach Steve Kerr’s up-tempo offensive attack, and if Golden State can find a way to land all of them in a trade, it would perhaps make the Dubs legitimate championship contenders depending on what they would have to give up.
