The NBA draft is nearing, which means the trade rumors are beginning to fly like a LeBron James driving dunk. And with a not-so impressive slate of draft picks this season, teams might be more willing to dump their pick for reliable players.
The Golden State Warriors seem to be committed to that approach. They've wanted to bring more defense to their squad, and now they're looking at finding a reliable front-line player that can give them immediate rebounding presence. One such target appears to be a solid center (and a former Bay Area college player to boot), Robin Lopez of the Phoenix Suns. John Gambadoro of KTAR 620 AM came up with this Tweet.
Suns and Warriors have discussed trade scenarios in which Robin Lopez goes to Golden State and 11th pick plus Udoh ends up with Phoenix
Obviously, the jury is still way out on Udoh; he hasn't been given much time to prove what he's capable of, but the results have been at best mixed. He can block shots but it's unclear if he's capable of much else. It does give Phoenix a young and promising player on a Suns squad that's in transition. Losing the pick can hurt, but it's not like anyone on Golden State (other than maybe Chris Singleton or Bismack Biyombo) meshes with the defensive/rebounding philosophy the Warriors want to install.
And of course, there are concerns with Lopez's injuries. Golden State is taking a calculated risk by trying to take on Lopez and hoping he fits. There isn't much upside for either party in this trade.
Should the Warriors trade away Udoh and the 11th pick for Lopez? If not, what big man would you trade for? Give us your input in the comments.