Warriors' nightmare teams for Harden, big names on trade block
A number of the NBA's best players could be on the move this offseason, and the Warriors hope they don't land on these teams.
The NBA offseason is in full swing, and more than a few stars could be on the move before the season tips off on Dec. 22.
With Mike D'Antoni and Daryl Morey out in Houston, stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook have questions about the direction of the franchise as owner Tilman Fertitta continues to cut costs. Both have massive salaries, but there are a few teams who could be able to make a play.
The Oklahoma City Thunder could be looking to move Chris Paul's salary off the books and go into full rebuild mode. There will be no shortage of contenders who want to add "The Point God," but who can take on his salary?
Victor Oladipo could be on the move as his relationship with the Pacers continues to deteriorate. And could the Clippers look to shake things up after a flameout in the second round?
If any of the NBA's best do change zip codes before this season, these are the scenarios the Warriors hope don't play out.
The Rockets are in full self-destruct mode. While Harden has said he's committed to Houston, if Fertitta really wants to lessen the burden on his wallet, there are a few teams who can make a move for the 2018 NBA MVP.
Let's immediately cross the Warriors off the list of possible landing spots. That's not happening. Ever.
The Philadelphia 76ers appear to be the likely destination, with Morey wanting to go get the star he was so successful with in Houston. That wouldn't make the Warriors bat an eye.
Would Harden heading to Brooklyn to pair with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving bother them? No chance. The Warriors have moved on from Durant.
The one place the Warriors shouldn't want to see Harden go is Denver. The Nuggets bested the Clippers in seven games in the Western Conference semifinals but were outclassed by the Los Angeles Lakers.
Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic are great players but the Nuggets are in need of a star who can carry the load down the stretch in a playoff game. OK, maybe it's not Harden. (I kid.)
The Nuggets could deal Jerami Grant, Gary Harris, Bol Bol and draft picks to land Harden and have a formidable big three. Michael Porter Jr. might have to go back in the deal, but the Nuggets surely will try to hang onto him.
Giving the Nuggets a Big Three of Jokic-Murray-Harden would make it much harder for the Warriors in an already loaded Western Conference.
Team Warriors don't want to acquire Harden: Nuggets
Chris Paul showed he still had a lot left in the tank during his renaissance year with the Thunder. Now, OKC might be ready to cash in and get his salary off the books.
The obvious landing spot for Paul is the one the Warriors don't want to see. We know LeBron James and Paul are good friends and Paul would fill a clear need for the Lakers. He would give LA another ball-handler who the Lakers can run the offense through, create his own shot and take some of the load off James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers might have a hard time finding a way to swing a deal for Paul. The Lakers sent a majority of their future picks to the New Orleans Pelicans in the deal that got them Davis. They could send Danny Green, Kyle Kuzma, Avery Bradley, Quinn Cook and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to OKC in exchange for Paul.
That's not a haul for the Thunder, but in uncertain financial times, the small-market Thunder might just want to get out from under the $86 million Paul is owed.
The trade for Paul would gut the Lakers of their depth but give them a Big Three that would be unmatched in today's NBA.
James and Davis getting a third star is something the Warriors don't want to see as they look to restart their dynasty.
Team Warriors don't want to acquire Paul: Lakers
The way Westbrook's game is trending, there might not be a team the Warriors would hate for him to go to.
Despite the obvious flaws in his game, Westbrook still is a talented player who can give a contending team a third star they need. He can go on crazy scoring spurts and appeared to give up on hoisting wild 3-pointers during the second half of last season.
That, of course, can't be counted on. Still, Westbrook could throw a wrench into the Warriors' title plans.
As far as the Western Conference goes, the Clippers are the only contending team that might want Westbrook and put him to good use. Yes, the Clippers need a true point guard who can take some of the burden of initiating the offense off Kawhi Leonard. While Westbrook isn't a Chris Paul-type guard, he could give the Clippers an alpha who has experience in the playoffs and knows how to play alongside Paul George.
The Clippers need to make some changes to their roster and Westbrook could give them the juice they were missing last season.
Team Warriors don't want to acquire Westbrook: Clippers
On Friday, Victor Oladipo said he was committed to the Pacers. But it's clear their relationship is fracturing.
After returning from a quadriceps injury, Oladipo didn't look like the All-Star he was prior to the injury.
But the 28-year-old still could rediscover that level and be a good No. 2 for a team in the title chase.
No team in the Western Conference feels like a landing spot for Oladipo that would worry the Warriors. However, as the Warriors and their fans hang on to the notion that Giannis Antetokounmpo could join Steph Curry in the Bay, Milwaukee making a play for Oladipo could give Antetokounmpo the running mate he's needed in the West and make Khris Middleton more comfortable as a third option.
Of course, that is banking on Oladipo returning to his All-Star form. If he does that, is there any reason for Giannis to leave Milwaukee?
Team Warriors don't want to acquire Oladipo: Bucks
This is a wild-card.
I would highly doubt the Clippers would move on from George after just one year with Kawhi Leonard. I also would doubt there are many teams who would want to bring him on as their No. 1 after his display in the playoffs.
But if George does become available, and the Clippers are able to find another star to replace him, could a team who wants to make a run at the playoffs be interested?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are a team that is looking to maximize the pairing of Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell and are primed to add a top talent with the No. 1 overall pick.
Could they find a way to orchestrate a three-team trade that gets the Clippers a star and nets them George? Once again, it's almost a 99.9 percent certainty that George is still in LA come Dec. 22.
But if the Timberwolves could acquire him, it will obviously hurt Minnesota's 2021 first-round pick that the Warriors own.
Team Warriors don't want to acquire George: T-Wolves
