1. Warriors can trade for 76ers' Marcus Morris Sr., Paul Reed, Robert Covington
The Chris Paul experiment has been a mixed bag for Golden State. He hasn't been as thoroughly disappointing as Wiggins or Thompson, but it's clear the 38-year-old can no longer deliver star-level impact. Shifting between the starting lineup and the second unit, Paul has averaged 8.9 points and 7.2 assists on .424/.361/.833 splits in 27.6 minutes. He remains an all-time basketball mind, but he can no longer create his own offense at a high level.
Paul's $30.8 million contract essentially comes off the books after the season. Golden State has no evident plans to re-sign him. The Jordan Poole trade was always a salary dump at heart. The Warriors could use Paul's salary to absorb Pascal Siakam or another big-contract star, but there's also a case for spinning his chunk of expiring change into multiple role players.
Here, Marcus Morris Sr. and Robert Covington arrive from the Philadelphia 76ers. Morris' decline is well-documented, but he's still a big wing with a confident 3-point stroke. Robert Covington has been vastly underutilized in Philadelphia. His range as an off-ball defender would materially benefit the Warriors' soggy defense. Factor in a stash of second-round picks, and it's a reasonable proposition.
What's specifically interesting with this framework is what essentially amounts to a swap of backup centers. Nick Nurse has become increasingly impatient with Paul Reed in Philadelphia, but the 23-year-old is on an extremely team-friendly deal and there is upside tied to his tornado-esque approach to defense. Looney is an established vet who can supply rebounding and polished paint protection behind Joel Embiid. The Sixers need a backup point guard. Paul is a bit splashy, but he doesn't impact their grand free agency plans and he would feed Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey a few easy looks every game. We know Daryl Morey respects Paul, even if the Point God has mixed feelings after how their last partnership ended.