After Bob Myers and the Warriors opted to stand pat at the NBA trade deadline, it didn’t come as much of a surprise for Golden State to appear as a player in the buyout market, often used by contenders to swipe up languishing veterans at bargain prices.
Jordan Poole has assumed that role since he was kicked to the second unit by Klay Thompson’s return to the starting lineup. And while Poole has handled the transition to the bench with aplomb, it’s possible both sides are learning Poole is better as a true scorer than a playmaker. With Dragic, the Warriors would be able to run a front line of Steph Curry-Klay Thompson-Andrew Wiggins-Draymond Green-Kevon Looney, backed up by a second unit of Dragic-Poole-Payton-Kuminga-Otto Porter.The Warriors have no shortage of playoff experience, but there is a chasm between their core group of starters and the players who make up the second unit. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson? We know what they can do under pressure.
The Warriors can offer Dragic something that many other suitors cannot: they still have their $5.9 million taxpayer midlevel exception available to use — if they deem the cost to be worth it. It’s worth noting that Golden State already has the highest luxury tax bill in the league and any additional spending would come at an exponential rate; had the Warriors used the full $5.9 million slot to start the season, it would have cost them more than $30 million in taxes.