Even if they both re-sign, the Golden State Warriors will likely be without Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant for most if not all of next season, which could force them to get creative. Very creative.
In a piece published on Saturday, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton linked Miami Heat guard Dion Waiters to the Warriors as a potential trade target. Pelton noted that the Heat have reportedly been trying to offload Waiters’ contract and that Golden State might even be able to net a draft pick in exchange for taking the former No. 4 overall pick into an exception created by a sign-and-trade.
Waiters, 27, is coming off a 2018-19 campaign where he averaged 12.0 points and 2.8 assists per game on 41.4 percent from the field and 37.7 percent from deep. He is owed $12.1 million next season and $12.65 million in 2020-21.
While Waiters is a high-volume gunner whose style of play is not necessarily compatible with championship basketball, the Dubs will need supplementary offense anywhere they can get it next season. Waiters was also teammates with Durant in Oklahoma City, and the two still appear to be rather close.
