This past season, one of the Golden State Warriors‘ biggest weaknesses was a lack of size in the frontcourt. Opposing teams often succeeded by pressuring the rim and forcing the Warriors to send multiple bodies into the paint.
As such, Golden State could look to add a rim protector during the offseason.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Zach Buckley proposed a trade that would see the Warriors acquire Mitchell Robinson from the New York Knicks in return for Gary Payton II, Moses Moody and a 2026 first-round draft pick.
“The Knicks have tangible proof they can win big without Robinson, so maybe they aren’t keen on keeping his $14.3 million salary on their books,” Buckley reasoned. “The Warriors, who could be angling for more size, could give New York an out with Robinson while sending back a bulldog defender in Payton, a young three-and-D wing in Moody and a lightly protected future first-round pick to help reel in a bigger fish at a later date.”
Mitchell is a legitimate 7-footer who can protect the rim, rebound at an elite level and operate as a rim-runner on offense. He could thrive in the Warriors’ spaced-out offense, where he would have significant room to roam in the paint and provide vertical spacing due to his lob threat.
Robinson could help beef up Golden State’s defense while giving them a new dimension on the offensive end. However, the price of trading Moody may be too costly for a non-shooting big man.
