Rumors surfaced earlier this week that the Golden State Warriors might be open to trading All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson. Specifically, the indication was that Golden State might be in conversations with the Boston Celtics to send Klay back east (more on that here).
While the Warriors quickly shot down said rumors, there could very well be some truth to all this.
Despite boasting an 8-2 record on the season and outscoring their opponents by an average of over eight points per game, something isn’t clicking right with the Warriors. Their two losses have come by a combined 49 points and they rank 25th in the NBA in points allowed.
For his part, Klay Thompson struggled out of the gate. This was likely primarily due to the presence of former NBA MVP Kevin Durant on the team. Klay has since turned it around, but this hasn’t stopped some from questioning his fit on the Warriors as they are currently assembled.
NBA GM: "Please tell me Klay to Boston rumors not true. If they got Bradley and Crowder, it's over. … Klay not a good fit there anymore."
— Sam Amico (@AmicoHoops) November 15, 2016
The unnamed GM was talking about the hypothetical trade that would send Klay to the Boston Celtics for a package including Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley.
It’s definitely an interesting dynamic to look at. Bradley is considered one of the top defensive guards in the entire Association and would immediate upgrade that aspect of the Warriors’ roster. Meanwhile, Crowder, a solid defender himself, could help Golden State play more small-ball with Durant at the four.
All this is hypothetical. It’s extremely unlikely that the Warriors would part with one of the top-10 all-around players in the NBA for a couple role players. It’s also important to note that the rumor ended up being nothing more than innuendo on Brian Scalabrine’s part.
But it does speak to some perceived issues as it relates to the roster make up of the two-time defending Western Conference champs.