Warriors Bolster Spurs' Playoff Chances in NBA Mock Trade

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Jan 22, 2025 11:05 PM ET

The Golden State Warriors, at 21-21, are clearly an empire on decline. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are both still productive, although neither are at the top of their game anymore.

The San Antonio Spurs have a worse record, sitting at 19-22, but with Victor Wembanyama in town, they have no where to go but up. Wembanyama ha found success this season playing alongside Harrison Barnes and Chris Paul, and the Spurs could add another veteran alongside their superstar with the hopes of making the playoffs this season.

With a war chest of draft picks, the Spurs could make a reasonable offer for Draymond Green.

The Dubs, to their credit, seem to understand that adding a superstar would only hurt them in the long run. The Spurs rank 16th in defense, although with Wembanyama holding down the paint, they should be more elite than that.

By adding Green, the Spurs could slot the often-injured Jeremy Sochan to the bench, where he could be more of a disruptor or "break in case of emergency" player for the Silver and Black. Here's what a deal might look like:

Full Mock Trade Details

Spurs Receive: Draymond Green

Warriors Receive: Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, 2027 first-round pick

Johnson could provide some much-needed scoring and offensive energy for the Warriors, and Branham, despite showing promise as a scoring guard, has been buried on the Spurs' depth chart.

On top of that, the Dubs land an unprotected draft pick which they could save to help their rebuild or flip, along with some other assets, for a player who can shine next to Curry.

If the Spurs and Warriors make this deal, unless Golden State makes another move, it would only be a matter of time before the Spurs overtake the Warriors in the standings.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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