The Golden State Warriors will be heading into the 2020 NBA offseason with the goal of finding quality players that could help them reclaim the NBA championship title in the 2020-21 NBA season. The Warriors have already been linked to several NBA players who are expected to be available on the trade market this fall, including Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Phoenix Suns.
Oubre Jr. may not be the legitimate NBA superstar that the Warriors dreamt of adding to their core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, but Nathan Beighle of Fansided’s Blue Man Hoop believes that he would be the “perfect target” for Golden State in the 2020 NBA offseason.
“Kelly Oubre Jr. could come as the perfect fit and potential heir to the throne in Golden State. He has every tool it takes to become a star in the league, and on the second unit, he has the ability to command a unit that’s struggled heavily throughout the years. Oubre Jr. could either star over Wiggins which may be preferred or he could come into his own on the bench. Either way, if the team can attract Phoenix into trading him, they can bring him in with the $17.2 million Andre Iguodala-created trade exception, They would instantly have a much stronger bench.”
Oubre Jr. would undeniably be an incredible addition to the Warriors, giving them the much-needed help in their second unit and in their wing. He may still be young and lack experience, but he would give the Warriors a prolific scorer, rebounder, reliable floor-spacer, and a decent perimeter defender. This season, the 24-year-old small forward has shown a massive improvement with his game, averaging 18.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.3 steals while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from beyond the arc.
With the years he spent with ball-dominant superstars like John Wall and Bradley Beal in Washington and Devin Booker in Phoenix, Oubre Jr. wouldn’t have a hard time making himself fit with Curry, Thompson, and Green in Golden State. The main purpose of trading for Oubre Jr. would be to boost the Warriors’ second unit. However, Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr may also consider promoting Oubre Jr. to their starting lineup if Andrew Wiggins fails to live up to expectations in the 2020-21 NBA season.
As of now, the Suns haven’t shown any indication that they are planning to make Oubre Jr. available on the trade market in the 2020 NBA offseason. However, if they decide to explore trading Oubre Jr., the Warriors have enough trade assets to convince the Suns to make a deal. Aside from the $17.2 million trade exception they created from sending Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies last summer, the Warriors could also use their own 2020 first-round pick as a trade chip to acquire Oubre Jr. from the Suns.
