NBA Rumors: Proposed Rockets-Warriors Blockbuster Trade Would Send Victor Oladipo & PJ Tucker To Golden State
The Golden State Warriors are expected to be active on the market before the 2021 trade deadline. With Klay Thompson set to remain on the sidelines for the rest of the 2020-21 NBA season, the Warriors need to give Stephen Curry and Draymond Green some help in order to have a legitimate chance of contending for a championship title this year.
In a recent article, Dan Favale of Bleacher Report came up with two separate trade ideas that would enable Golden State to acquire Victor Oladipo and PJ Tucker from the Houston Rockets. In the first deal, the Warriors would be sending a package that includes Kelly Oubre Jr., Jordan Poole, Brad Wanamaker, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ 2021 first-round pick to the Rockets in exchange for Oladipo and the Portland Trail Blazers’ 2021 first-round pick.
In the second scenario, Tucker would be heading to Golden State while a 2022 second-rounder would be Houston-bound. The two proposed deals with the Warriors would make a lot of sense for the Rockets. It would allow them to turn the expiring contracts of Oladipo and Tucker into several precious trade assets, including a potential lottery pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
“For the Rockets, this package would essentially amount to flipping Oladipo, Tucker and that Blazers selection for Minnesota’s first. They should absolutely give the green light. The Timberwolves are currently tied for the league’s worst record with no clear route upward. That pick forecasts as a high lotto selection this year or, if it doesn’t convey, next season. Maybe Houston could finagle something else from the Warriors. They also own Minnesota’s 2021 second and can move future firsts. But Oladipo is on the verge of a huge payday, and Tucker is either a rental or someone Golden State would have to re-sign at age 36.”
Meanwhile, trading all those assets for two expiring contracts would definitely be a difficult decision for Warriors General Manager Bob Myers. However, it’s the type of move they should be willing to make if they want to give Curry and Green a realistic chance of bringing the team back to the NBA Finals this year.
Oladipo and Tucker would be great additions to the Warriors. Oladipo would immediately fill the huge hole Thompson left at the starting shooting guard position. He would give Golden State a very reliable second scoring option next to Curry, as well as a decent playmaker, ball-handler, floor-spacer, and a great perimeter defender.
This season, Oladipo is slowly regaining his All-Star form. In 17 games he played, he’s averaging 20.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals while shooting 40.8 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Tucker may not be an All-Star, but he would give the Warriors a battle-tested veteran in their frontcourt. With his familiarity with the small-ball strategy, he would likely fit easily in Coach Steve Kerr’s system. The potential acquisitions of Oladipo and Tucker wouldn’t make them an instant favorite to bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year, but it would give them a fighting chance when they face Western Conference powerhouse teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the L.A. Clippers.
