While the Warriors are still baffled by their inability to resolve the problems from the 2023–24 campaign, an NBA analyst offered a direct solution.
Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins, and Shannon Sharpe talked about the adjustments Golden State should make as the NBA trade deadline of February 8 approaches on Tuesday morning’s “First Take” episode. The Warriors (18-22) lost badly to the Memphis Grizzlies 116-107 on Monday, dropping them to 12th place in the Western Conference.
Perkins said it might be time to dismantle the Big Three of the Warriors.
There needs to be a change based on Klay Thompson’s body language. You can’t hold onto your sentiments and emotions for too long, and the Golden State Warriors are a prime example of that,” Perkins stated. “They are feeling the right things. ‘Man, we’re so emotionally attached to Klay Thompson,’ they exclaim. We have a strong emotional bond with Draymond Green. When it comes down to it, they both need to be traded. The two of them. Dray and Klay.”
During their more than ten years of playing together in the Bay, Curry, Thompson, and Green have made six trips to the NBA Finals and four championships. Even though they are the three players in the league with the longest contracts, Perkins thinks it’s time for them to leave.
After finishing with just nine points, zero rebounds, and three assists in just 34 minutes, Thompson’s inconsistent season took a further hit on Monday. His plus/minus rating was minus-22. However, Thompson turned around his early-season struggles before Monday’s defeat, having disclosed on January 2 that he had a paradigm-shifting talk with Warriors coach Steve Kerr. He has averaged 21 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 31.1 minutes over the last seven games, while shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from 3-point range.
However, Monday’s performance rekindled a developing worry because Perkins called attention to the sharpshooter’s apparent frustrations and body language.
Green, meanwhile, returned to the court on Monday after sitting out 16 games, 12 of which were because of a “indefinite” suspension. In 24 minutes off the bench, the Warriors forward scored seven points, pulled down seven rebounds, disheveled four assists, and committed one steal, but it was insufficient as Golden State lost one of its worst games of the year. Perkins thinks enough is enough, but he has only appeared in 16 of the Warriors’ 40 games this season. Right now, he is concentrating on staying on the court for his teammates.
Although the former NBA champion who is now an analyst believes that neither Thompson nor Green’s NBA careers are finished, he believes that they—as well as the Warriors—may benefit from a fresh start.
“After that, you should speak with Steph to find out what he wants to do,” Perkins went on. “Do you want to lose for the next two years while we continue to build, or do you also need a destination? Andrew Wiggins, a forward for the Warriors, is not worth much right now. Thus, you need to consider trading Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. I think Klay Thompson has more to give. I just think he needs to see something different.
“You could argue that one of the most compelling individual narratives from this past weekend involved quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Bucs. A player’s mindset could benefit greatly from a change of scenery.”