The worst team in the NBA this year after a fifth straight Finals appearance in 2019, Warriors fans hope that this season is just a blip in what might be another half decade of league dominance. While the Warriors core is aging, their shooting and heart should hold up if, and this is a big if, Warriors management and ownership maximizes the assets at their disposal this offseason.

When the Warriors were making the Finals every year, their 1st round draft pick was less valuable and important in the grand scheme of things. It was more about getting a cost-controlled investment to take up an end of the bench roster spot. That is not the case this year. Now sitting at #2, the Warriors are in a much different situation. They can use that pick to trade for a veteran that can contribute now, draft a high-risk prospect that will likely be forced into action out of necessity, or my favorite option, trade down. Trading down is a more complicated proposition, however. This year is being touted as one of the worst drafts in the last couple of years, with few true blue-chippers and major question marks at the top. This creates a market imbalance of many sellers and few buyers. A notable (potential) buyer could be the New York Knicks. Assuming the Timberwolves select Anthony Edwards, the high-flying shooting guard out of Georgia, at #1, many have penciled in point guard LaMelo Ball at #2, but there are significant questions about how well he would fit on the floor with Steph, Klay, and Draymond over the next few years. Even though LaMelo Ball would be #1 on my personal draft board, I do not think I could select him if I were a win-now team like the Warriors. Like Trae Young and Luka Doncic, I think LaMelo will only shine on a team that can afford to give him the keys and work through his mistakes. With very little established cornerstones on the Knicks, I think that could be an ideal situation for Ball. LaMelo has already been connected to the Knicks, and I would look for the new management to make a splash in their first (albeit abbreviated offseason). On the topic of compensation, the Knicks are currently sitting at #8 and #27, which are approximately equal to the #4 pick (according the draft pick value chart by Kevin Pelton of ESPN), if traded in concert with each other. From there, you could see a draft-day trade similar to the one for the aforementioned duo of Luka and Trae, where the Knicks would trade an additional protected pick in the near future (which the Knicks are now flush in due to the Kristaps Porzingis trade) to finalize the climb to #2. The Warriors could manage to parlay their #2 pick into greater roster depth in the near term and more draft assets in the long term, while the Knicks grab their guy.

The other unique, ticking timebomb of an asset is the Warriors’ $17M trade exception. With the Warriors many attractive trade assets, you must imagine that Bob Meyers and company are at least brainstorming on how they could use it. The trouble with the trade exception is that ownership could force the team into forfeiting it in order to keep their tax bill more manageable. This action would be understandable, but highly disappointing for fans because of the wide variety of utility that the exception could have. The open space of the exception could be used alongside any amount of draft capital the team desires in a deal for a long-term piece right now. If a deal cannot be reached, the Warriors can use the exception to absorb as close to a positive contract as they can, essentially kicking the can further down the road in the season like they did with D’Angelo Russell last season. One fun idea I had for the exception was to trade for Seth Curry and Maxi Kleber, strengthening the center position with a stretch-five in Maxi and reuniting brothers Seth and Steph. With Seth’s tremendous off-ball abilities, he would also be a fantastic fit for a new, end-of-game Death Lineup. Another suggestion I would have for the Warriors would be to target Myles Turner with some of their stock-piled future draft picks. I don’t think that Pacers would be willing to part ways with Turner just yet but depending on how their season goes next year in a much stronger Eastern Conference, the Warriors would be wise to check in around next year’s trade deadline. One final note: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Warriors should be willing to trade anything not nailed down or named Steph in a trade for the soon-to-be two-time MVP. However, I don’t imagine Giannis will demand a trade before he becomes a free agent next summer as its not in his character, preferring instead to ride with the Bucks for at least one last half-hearted run at the title next year before evaluating his future in Milwaukee.