For those of you looking for some actual transactions and movement this offseason for the Warriors, you probably were not thrilled to hear the 2020 NBA Draft and free agency were moved back from their mid-October dates.
But that is not going to stop the rumor mill from churning, and the speculation surrounding the Warriors is mounting every day. Stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons have been connected to the Warriors in rumors for a while now, of course, but there are other big names to watch as well.
According to Tom Haberstroh, one of them is New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday.
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"I think they are going to obviously try to get Jrue Holiday in New Orleans," Haberstroh speculated to NBC Sports Bay Area," Jrue Holiday is an elite perimeter defender, he may not have made All-Defense but I think he is right up there with the best perimeter defenders in the league, and I think he'd be a great fit next to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson."
The 30-year-old guard has averaged over 19 points per game for the Pelicans the last three seasons, while playing the complete floor game averaging nearly five rebounds and about seven assists. His game is more than that, however.
"At his best, he is a lockdown defender and a good 3-point shooter, a guy who can organize your offense," Haberstroh said.
Golden State Warriors
Holiday is owed over $50 million for the next two seasons, so if the Warriors were to make a move for him, they assuredly would have to part with a large contract like Andrew Wiggins or Draymond Green. While that part would be a tough pill for the Warriors to swallow, unfortunately, they would have to give up a lot more than that.
"He's not going to come cheaply, so in order to get someone like Jrue Holiday, you'll have to give up assets, and certainly David Griffin would be asking for a boatload of whatever the Golden State Warriors have," Haberstroh explained, "It is going to be tough to envision a deal that works for both sides, but I do think that if you're going to get a star, or an up and coming star, you'll have to give up something to get something, and Jrue Holiday is really really good, it's just a question of New Orleans if they want to keep him or Lonzo Ball is their future point guard."
Speaking of the tough decision to keep or trade a star, Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards long has been rumored to be on the trade block, but recently many have speculated, including Haberstroh a couple weeks ago, that the Wizards more likely were going to hold on to him to see how he performs at the start of the season, before deciding his fate.
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Haberstroh is not ready to throw away the idea of him being shipped out just yet, though.
"Another name to watch is Bradley Beal. Until the season starts in Washington and he's playing with them, I still think there's a chance that the Washington Wizards will listen to offers because I think Tommy Sheppard, the GM there, understands that it's part of the game," Haberstroh expounded. "And with the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft, I expect the Golden State Warriors will try in every capacity to land someone like Jrue Holiday or Bradley Beal. Someone to be able to play in the backcourt with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, as they recover from injuries and be the star next to those guys and lead their next phase of the franchise."
One other name that Haberstroh brought up recently as a potential trade target, that elicited some angry responses from Toronto Raptors fans, was Pascal Siakam. The 26-year-old wing has blossomed into a star in Toronto, and has become the main focal point of their offense. Trading away a foundational piece that is so young and budding seems ill-advised at this point, so Warriors fans should not get their hopes up just yet.
"I did say it would take a really horrible flameout for the Toronto Raptors for Pascal Siakam to even be in the conversation, "Haberstroh said with a smile."And it looks like this isn't Siakam's best postseason and I think it's increased the odds, very low odds, of Siakam perhaps being on his way out of Toronto. I still think it's a long-shot, but it is definitely better than it was [before]."