Grade the Trade: Warriors send Klay to Finals rival in bittersweet proposal

Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors / Thearon W. Henderson/GettyImages

The Golden State Warriors have righted the ship, at least for now. After spiraling down to the dregs of the NBA standings, they have rebounded in a major way, knocking off both rebuilding teams and title contenders to get back into the playoff mix in the Western Conference.

They have done so without Draymond Green, the backbone of their defense and yet the bane of their existence. As they push Green to be honest with the team and with himself behind the scenes, on the court the Warriors’ recent success has been driven primarily by two factors: the continued rise of their young players, and the resuscitation of Klay Thompson’s scoring and shooting ability.

The Warriors would be forgiven for thinking that they are back on track to be a contender when the playoffs roll around. In fact, they probably will talk themselves into this championship core leading them back into battle. Any thoughts of trading a core player have likely been shelved.

Could the Warriors possibly trade Klay Thompson?

What if the Warriors didn’t grow complacent with a hot steak, however? What if they recognized that they still lack team size, that their playmaking is still centered in a collection of aging players who are liable to miss time due to injury (Chris Paul) or immaturity (Draymond Green) and that Klay’s improved shooting over the past two weeks is actually an opportunity to sell him at peak value?

This isn’t an endorsement of trading Klay; just an attempt to ask the question that no one is asking any longer. Klay is hurtling toward free agency and the expectation of a large salary offer from the Warriors; their team is both old and expensive, and handing the baton to the youth movement may mean something as drastic as trading one of their longtime franchise icons.

If they were to consider such a move, is there a team that could specifically use Klay’s services and has both size and playmaking to offer back in a deal? Let’s look at one such deal in detail and see if it’s something that the Warriors could consider.

Laying out a blockbuster trade

The difficulty in trading Klay Thompson is twofold. First of all, it has to be a team that is at least close to contending this season; it doesn’t make sense to trade for a 33-year-old on an expiring contract otherwise. At the same time, the other impediment is the size of that expiring deal: Thompson makes $43 million this season.

The approach by the Warriors could be to decrease their salary and therefore their luxury tax bill, but for a team gunning for one last title that can’t be the priority. Instead, they could prioritize size and playmaking to shore up their depth for the rest of the regular season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers stand out as a logical trade partner. They are low on wings with size, are desperate enough to make a big swing, and have good players that meet both of the aforementioned needs. Here is what a trade could look like:

The Cavaliers get one of the league’s best shooters, a player who doesn’t merely have playoff experience but has delivered again and again as a part of four title teams. Cory Joseph provides point guard depth that they desperately need.

The Cavaliers may point to Allen’s age and reasonable contract and demand a first-round pick from the Warriors; that may have been possible a month ago, but probably not since Thompson has rediscovered his stroke.

If the Cavaliers play ball with this deal, is it one the Warriors should consider accepting?

Could the Warriors say yes?

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: it will be exceedingly difficult for the Golden State Warriors to part ways with a franchise icon in such a way. If he walks in free agency the blame isn’t solely on them; nor is the guilt. The Warriors don’t want to trade Klay no matter how his game has eroded.

If they move past the emotions of the situation and conclude that they need to trade Klay, both to boost this year’s run and avoid a potentially messy free-agent situation this summer, is this the kind of deal they could accept?

Thompson is 33 years old, missed 2.5 seasons due to significant lower leg injuries, and has clearly lost a step. He can no longer defend opposing guards, his personal shot creation has atrophied and while he can still shoot as well as anyone, he has become streakier over the past few years.

That’s part of the argument for trading him, and part of the argument for not offering a lucrative new contract, but also speaks to a lower return were they to shop him. This deal from the Cavaliers actually sends back more overall value than they would expect from almost any other team.

Does that make this deal worth doing? The size and defense of Jarrett Allen would transform their interior defense, and he provides very real vertical spacing on offense. Caris LeVert provides insurance against an injury to Chris Paul as an on-on-ball playmaker who has improved as a shooter and defender in Cleveland.

As hard as it is for Warriors fans to hear, this is excellent value for Thompson at this point in his career and given his contract situation.

With that being said, this deal also doesn’t make them a signifcantly better team. Klay’s shooting is a lethal weapon and LeVert is somewhat superfluous on the team If everyone is healthy. Allen is a superior player than Trayce Jackson-Davis but the rookie provides much of what Allen does at a fraction of the price.

If the Warriors are going to do something as painful as trade Klay Thompson, it needs to be in a deal that clearly elevates them back into the ring of title contenders. This deal makes them better….probably, but it doesn’t make them inevitable.

There may be a point when the Warriors have to make a painful decision. This one is defensible, but ultimately it’s one they should pass on.