The Splash Brothers have split up, and the Golden State Warriors are trying to figure out what's next. The first move, according to Shams Charania, is signing guard De'Anthony Melton to a one-year, $12.8 million contract (i.e. the non-taxpayer mid-level exception).
Melton is a nice fit. He's an excellent defender, and he made 37.9% of his 3-point attempts in his two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. But he's a complementary piece, and the Warriors would still like to acquire someone who will be more than that. Golden State needs someone who can take some of the pressure off of Stephen Curry, particularly now that Klay Thompson is (likely) off to Texas.
How does Lauri Markkanen sound?
According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Golden State is "trying to be aggressive" on the trade market. One of its targets, reportedly, is Markkanen, a 27-year-old forward who stands 7 feet tall, made the All-Star Game in 2023 and has averaged 24.5 points on 63.6% true shooting in two years with the Utah Jazz.
"Utah's not sure it wants to trade him, but they have to listen," Wojnarowski said on SportsCenter. "They've been listening. And a lot of the teams who lost out on Mikal Bridges from Brooklyn have transferred over to trying to see if they can land Lauri Markkanen out of Utah. Golden State is one of those teams."
Like Bridges, Markkanen can has shown that he can put up points but has the kind of game that complements high-usage playmakers. He made 41.4% of his catch-and-shot 3s last season, and Jazz coach Will Hardy moved him all over the court and put him in lots of different actions. The Warriors -- and coach Steve Kerr specifically -- would surely love to have a weapon like him at their disposal. But he won't be cheap.
Also like Bridges, Markkanen is signed to a below-market contract. He'll make $18 million this coming season, the last year of a four-year deal that he signed (as part of a sign-and-trade that sent him to the Cleveland Cavaliers) after a season in which the Chicago Bulls demoted and deemphasized him. Markkanen is eligible for an extension now, but will be eligible to sign a much more lucrative deal by signing a new contract as a free agent next summer. For a team like Golden State that is hard-capped at the first apron, this represents a rare opportunity, provided that Utah will actually part with him: Markkanen's current salary is low enough to make acquiring him feasible, and it can realistically retain him with Bird Rights a year from now.
The Jazz, naturally, could just keep Markkanen and re-sign him themselves. But on his next deal, he probably won't have as much trade value as he does today, particularly if they can create a bidding war. Utah is worlds away from win-now mode, so, even though Markkanen is just approaching his prime, he could be worth more as somebody else's missing piece than the Jazz's centerpiece.
If there is a Markkanen bidding war brewing, it's not clear whether or not the Warriors can win it. In theory, though, they could get themselves in the mix. Andrew Wiggins has reportedly been on the block for some time, and they might have maybe considered potentially including Jonathan Kuminga in their talks with the Los Angeles Clippers about Paul George. They have future picks and swaps to trade, and they have some other interesting young players that they'd probably prefer not to offer. I don't know if Golden State can actually pull this off, but Markkanen is exactly the type of player it should be looking for.
