NBA trades aren’t as difficult as Warriors GM Dunleavy implies

NBA trades aren’t as difficult as Warriors GM Dunleavy implies originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – It’s the final days before the 2024 NBA draft and the opening of free agency, and Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy is holding his cards close enough to leave paper cuts on his chest.

The tell is that Dunleavy on Monday implied trades are exceedingly difficult to construct and complete in today’s NBA.

“Beyond certainly learning about our team in general – I think I mentioned just before – it’s just hard to do deals,” he said in a news conference at Chase Center. “I can’t stress that enough. There’s a lot of good teams out there that know what they are doing, whereas in the past, it just seemed like you could pull a fast one on somebody, or there’s different reasons for doing a trade.

“Now it’s hard.”

Nice try, tough to buy.

This is the GM who last summer shocked the league by acquiring Chris Paul. It was no surprise that Dunleavy traded Jordan Poole in the deal, but it raised eyebrows around the globe that Golden State was taking on a 38-year-old point guard making $30 million.

If an aging point guard making $30 mil, even with a one-year guarantee, can be moved, the market is open and explorable options are available.

Moreover, the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, who met in the 2024 NBA Finals, stand as proof that trades not only are available but can shift the balance of power within the NBA.

By trading for Kristaps Porzingis last June and Jrue Holiday last October – two megadeals – the Celtics affirmed themselves as the franchise most likely to win The Finals.

By trading for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington at the Feb. 9 trade deadline, the Mavericks restructured their roster on the fly – adding two starters – and overcome a middling start by winning 21 of their last 30 games and then spanking three Western Conference heavyweights to reach The Finals.

Trades still are very much an NBA thing, as much or more than either MLB or the NFL. Indeed, trades are the lifeblood of the league, often more impactful than signing free agents.

Timing is, however, the most…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba-trades-arent-difficult-warriors-042633342.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2024-06-25 04:26:33

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