The Golden State Warriors are at a pivotal point in their season. They are now 12th in the Western Conference. Given the approaching trade deadline of February 8th, a major roster shuffle appears probable. “Everyone but Steph Curry is on the table,” stated Shams Charania of The Athletic.
“Let’s say Golden State calls up Brooklyn, and they offer Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga, and they ask for Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith?” stated Jason Timpf of The Volume during the “Hoops Tonight” program.
This season, Bridges is averaging 21.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists. His efficiency has taken a slight decline this season to 45.2 percent from the field and 35.4 percent from three.
Having now become the primary focus of opposing defenses, Bridges’ numbers have understandably fluctuated. Alongside Curry, such defensive attention would diminish, which should enhance his offensive efficiency.
For Golden State, acquiring Bridges is a no-brainer, especially if the Nets show interest. Bridges’ ability to excel off-ball and provide elite point-of-attack defense would fill a gap left by Wiggins this season. Moreover, Bridges’ durability is unmatched, having never missed a game in his NBA career.
However, there’s no guarantee Brooklyn is at all interested in jettisoning the 27-year-old forward.
“I believe Brooklyn’s intent remains to build and add talent around [Bridges],” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier this month.
Yet, the prospect of pairing rising star Cam Thomas with Kuminga, who is only 21 and brimming with potential, is the logical move for the Nets.
Moody is also just 21 years old and would be another building block for Brooklyn’s future, whereas Bridges simply doesn’t align with their development timeline. By the time Thomas, Kuminga and Moody reach their ceiling, Bridges will likely be at the end of his prime.
Golden State will find it difficult to part with Kuminga because, as ESPN’s Kendra Andrews stated on “The Lowe Post,” “there are higher-ups in the organization that are infatuated with Kuminga.”
However, the signing of Bridges—a player whose two-way skills might help the Warriors return to the postseason—presents a chance too good to ignore.
