'Wild' trade idea sends Khris Middleton the Warriors

The Golden State Warriors have been re-tooling their roster this summer. With Klay Thompson leaving for the Dallas Mavericks, the front office has added Buddy Hield, De’Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson to help round out the rotation and provide depth at multiple positions. However, the Warriors did miss out on Lauri Markkanen, who was rumored to be their top trade target.

As such, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz has posited a ‘wild’ trade idea to give the Warriors some additional shooting in the front court, which would inevitably provide some additional floor spacing for Steph Curry in the upcoming season. The trade looks like this:

Warriors get: Khris Middleton

Milwaukee Bucks get: Jerami Grant

Portland Trail Blazers get: Moses Moody and Andrew Wiggins

“The Warriors are essentially swapping Andrew Wiggins for Middleton here, as Moody may not even play much this upcoming season with the additions of Buddy Hield and De’Anthony Melton combined with Brandin Podziemski entering the starting lineup full-time,” Swartz reasoned. “Middleton’s shooting, passing and overall versatility make him a strong fit in Golden State, and the Warriors should be thrilled to get off Wiggins’ contract.”

On paper, adding Middleton makes a lot of sense for Golden State. He would plug multiple gaps, provide high-level scoring and playmaking along with being an above-average defender. However, Middleton has struggled with health in recent seasons, has shown signs of age-related decline and is coming off a summer where he’s been recovering from surgery.

As such, the Warriors would be wise to swerve this hypothetical trade and look elsewhere. Nevertheless, Swartz is right about one thing: any major trade Golden State makes will likely include Wiggins.