Mock Trade Ruins Golden State Warriors' Momentum

The Golden State Warriors are off to a ferocious start. In their season opener, they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 140-104, then turned around and bested the Utah Jazz, 127-86. In both games, the Warriors' scoring effort was led by Buddy Hield, who scored 22 and 27 points off the bench, respectively.

Hield, in two games, has emerged as an All-Star candidate and has easily been the Warriors' best player. He has only missed four threes total and is building off a dominating performance in the preseason.

The Warriors will play the Los Angeles Clippers tonight and have a solid chance of going 3-0 to start the season for the first time since 2021-22, but that hasn't stopped Hield from being included in trade rumors.

The 31-year-old is poised to have a career year, and any team would be happy to have this version of the sharpshooter. However, as the Warriors chase a championship, they are unlikely to trade him, especially for a backup big man.

In a recent article by Colin Keane for The Sporting News, it was suggested that the Los Angeles Lakers could dangle either Christian Wood or Jaxson Hayes in a trade, nabbing Hield from Golden State.

First of all, Hield is the second-best player on the roster after Stephen Curry, and no team would take a backup center for a star-caliber player. Second of all, the frontcourt committee in Golden State of Draymond Green, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Kevon Looney have held their own this season. Jackson-Davis is taking a sophomore leap, and Green has offered vintage performances and looks eager to make a playoff run.

Related: Warriors Aim to Keep Good Times Going Against Clippers

For the Warriors to make a league-altering deal, they would have to implode, and with the way the season has started for them, that seems incredibly unlikely.