Warriors trading for ex-Lakers playoff enemy

The Golden State Warriors are ready to put the 2023 postseason to rest.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Saturday that the Warriors are in “serious pursuit” of a trade for Brooklyn Nets guard Dennis Schroder. Veteran NBA writer Marc Stein adds that the trade is “imminent” and will feature fellow guard De’Anthony Melton heading back to Brooklyn. The deal is on course to be completed once both players officially become eligible for trade on Sunday, Stein says.

Three future second-round draft picks will also be going to the Nets as part of the trade package.

Schroder, 31, has long been known as one of the NBA’s top reserve guards and finished as the runner-up for the Sixth Man of the Year Award in 2019-20 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He also had a noteworthy tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers (in the 2020-21 NBA season and again in the 2022-23 season). That included key minutes for the Lakers off the bench when they eliminated Golden State in the second round of the 2023 playoffs.

This season, Schroder has been starting for the thin Nets and is averaging an excellent 18.4 points and 6.6 assists per contest on 38.7 percent three-point shooting. Brooklyn is now choosing to cash out on him however and will get back future assets as well as a matching contract in the form of Melton, who is out for the year with an ACL issue but is on an expiring deal like Schroder. Reports are that two other Nets players may also soon be traded.

As for the Warriors, who are fifth in the West at 14-10, they get a high-upside backup for Steph Curry at a very low cost. This could just be an appetizer though as Golden State has recently been linked to a potential trade for a big All-Star name as well.