This is what I’d like to see from the Golden State Warriors:
1. Package Nick Van Exel and Jrich to get rid of Van Exel’s salary.
2. Sign Mehmet Okur. They could really use him.
3. Clear cap space so we can make a play for Yao next year. Yao wants to come to the bay area.
4. Trade their #11 Draft Pick in this year’s draft. It’s a weak draft. Better to go for a future lottery pick in a deeper draft while using this pick as bait for enabling the above.
Scenarios
NVE makes 12M with 2 years left. J-Rich makes 3.5M with 2 years left.
1. NVE/JR (+filler) to Memphis for Pau Gasol/Bonzi Wells. Bonzi’s 8M comes off the books after next season. Mike Dunleavy Jr. gets displaced but he can play 4 positions. GS will probably have to give up draft picks as well.
2. NVE/JR (+filler) to Dallas for Antoine Walker/Tony Delk. Antoine’s 14M comes off books next year, and Delk returns to the Warriors as a shoot first point guard.
3. NVE/JR to Portland for Theo Ratliff, Qyntel Woods, Dan Dickau + Future First Rounders. Theo’s 10M comes off books next year, Qyntel could develop, Dickau sits the bench.
These are all financial scenarios. The Warriors have GOT to get rid of Van Exel, even if it means giving up Richardson, to pave the way to signing Yao and/or Nash.
But then again, the owner of this hopeless franchise is hella cheap.