Grade the trade: Warriors upgrade Andrew Wiggins minutes in unexpected 3-team concept

The Golden State Warriors weren't able to transform Moses Moody and draft picks into Lauri Markkanen, which throws a wrench into GM Mike Dunleavy Jr.'s bold offseason plans. The Dubs were on the verge of acquiring Paul George once upon a time. For a while, it felt like Markkanen was a real possibility.

Instead, the Warriors are left holding the bag. There is still plenty of trade ammo at the front office's disposal, but precious few assets to direct it toward. The Dubs are out on Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine. Jimmy Butler won't be available until next summer, if at all. In short, Golden State is going to start the 2024-25 campaign with something resembling the current roster.

That isn't necessarily bad. The Warriors made meaningful improvements this summer, adding depth in the form of De'Anthony Melton, Kyle Anderson, and Buddy Hield, among others. Still, it is fair to wonder if quality depth is enough to make up the ground between Golden State and, say Oklahoma City. The top of the West is littered with viable contenders and the Warriors, for all of Steph Curry's star power and Draymond Green's grit, aren't on that level.

With All-Stars out of the equation, the Warriors are expected to focus on "smaller-scale" deals. Over at Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz has proposed a three-team trade that more or less adheres to that game plan. It's not exactly a small move, but it doesn't involve Golden State trading for an All-NBA candidate either.

3-team trade proposal sends Khris Middleton to Warriors, Jerami Grant to Bucks

This is a fairly cut-and-dry swap as far as three-team trades go. Oftentimes we see a mess of picks and lesser assets tossed into these fake trades to balance scales and match salaries. In this case, the Warriors essentially engineer a two-for-one transaction — Andrew Wiggins and Moses Moody for Khris Middleton — while the Milwaukee Bucks rope in the Portland Trail Blazers for the third leg of this blockbuster.

It's a pretty definitive victory for the Bucks, who transform an aging Middleton into a more productive, more spry Jerami Grant. There is a sentimental sacrifice involved — Middleton won a championship with this team and he's close to Giannis Antetokounmpo — but Grant improves the Bucks' perimeter defenses and supplies much-needed athleticism to the wing rotation.

At 6-foot-9, Grant has proven himself capable of scaling his role up or down to fit various team contexts. He can average an efficient 21 points as Portland's No. 1 option, or he can operate as key connective tissue for a competitive Denver Nuggets team. Supplying a versatile point of attack and help defense, useful 3-point volume, and powerful straight-line slashing, Grant wouldn't have trouble carving out a niche next to Giannis and Damian Lillard.

The only concern is Grant's contract, which has four years and roughly $132 million remaining. That is a lot, but it's far from the egregious overpay many made it out to be. For a Bucks team with a short title window, the extra financial strain isn't such a huge concern.

Bucks grade: B+

As for Portland, it's a chance to remove Grant's contract from the books. Wiggins has a similarly challenging contract number, but he's only under contract through 2027, rather than 2028. Moses Moody is the incentive, supplying the Blazers' youth movement with a quality 3-and-D wing who nicely complements the downhill attacking styles of Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe.

Moody is just waiting for his breakout opportunity with a new team, but swapping Grant for Wiggins is a sizable downgrade. Wiggins hasn't been the same over the last couple seasons, struggling to develop a rhythm from 3-point range and slipping noticeably on the defensive end. He's a fine, replacement-level starter on the wing, but he doesn't supply nearly enough financial relief to justify the gap in production.

This trade hinges on Portland being extremely confident in Moody's development, short and long-term. He's a good bet, but maybe not good enough to justify this particular move.

Blazers grade: D+

At last, we arrive at Golden State.

There are obvious pros and cons here. Middleton is an immediate upgrade over Wiggins, especially on the offensive end. He has regressed over the last couple years with age and injuries, but Middleton can still bury 3s and work the mid-range like a trained assassin. He's under contract through next season at roughly $32 million annually, which is favorable when compared to Wiggins' longer deal.

Postseason experience is a plus. Middleton tends to show up in high-pressure moments and he would provide Golden State's offense with another viable halfcourt self-creator. That element of Middleton's game has fallen off recently, but he's still a viable face-up threat with the size and shooting touch to score over a defender's outstretched hand. He will invariably hit some tough late-game buckets.

The Warriors essentially give up on Moody's development to acquire a 33-year-old with ongoing health concerns — Middleton hasn't played 60 games since 2021-22 or 70 games since 2018-19 — which is the crux of this debate. Middleton is better than Wiggins, but the defensive drop-off is pronounced, and the Warriors aren't littered with elite perimeter defenders. De'Anthony Melton and Kyle Anderson should help in this respect, but it's fair to wonder how Middleton holds up in the postseason now, compared to the Bucks' title run in 2021.

This feels like a fair bet for the Warriors, even if it doesn't move the needle as much as fans want. The Moody element is tough, as he's just not going to get major minutes in Golden State, but he clearly has the potential to impact a winning team in a pronounced role.

This trade would fall squarely in the wait-and-see category. Moody's development arc would determine the ultimate victor.

Warriors grade: C