Let us do a little rewind today and think back to the year 2020. What a confusing time to be alive. A global pandemic greatly affected how lives were being lived. The Golden State Warriors and the NBA were not an exception to feeling those effects.

The 2020 NBA Playoffs moved within a bubble at Disney World. The 2020 NBA Draft went remote. Plus, the NCAA season was cut short entirely, offering a skewed perception and assessment of the talent pool available. That is, at the least, what the Warriors and their fans will want to tell themselves considering they made a horrendous draft blunder.

Golden State took a chance on the talented but unproven James Wiseman after ending up with the second overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. The Wiseman experiment failed completely in the Bay Area. What made it look worse was the player who came right after him in the draft.

The Charlotte Hornets selected LaMelo Ball with the third overall pick. Ball has struggled with injuries, a touch, early in his career. However, it is undeniable that the Hornets guard has blossomed into a true star player. Whether or not he sticks around in Charlotte for the long haul is a different story.

Michael Scotto reported in his latest NBA intel roundup that teams will be paying close attention to Ball this offseason.

“Following the Luka Doncic trade, NBA executives around the league have expanded their horizons on which potential stars could be next to change teams.

The availability of Hornets guard LaMelo Ball is one of the stars several executives who spoke with HoopsHype will be monitoring on the trade market this summer. …

Looking ahead, Ball wants to start winning. Thus, is Ball willing to endure more losing and lessen his chances of individual accolades as the Hornets continue rebuilding under the new regime of executive Jeff Peterson and coach Charles Lee?”

 

-Michael Scotto

Could the Warriors be one of the teams who spoke with Scotto regarding monitoring Ball? It is a possibility. Does Golden State have enough ammunition to go get him after their trade for Jimmy Butler? It depends.

Ball’s value on the trade market would largely dictate whether the Warriors can field a competitive offer. The financial aspects of this trade would also be difficult to figure out, considering how much of Golden State’s cap will be tied up in the recently-acquired Butler and Stephen Curry.

Any deal for the Hornets star would likely need to involve Draymond Green for financial reasons. The Warriors would be left with just one cog from the famous Golden Dynasty.

Is this a route worth exploring for the Warriors? On an inquisitive level, it probably is. Is this a situation that is likely to actually yield something of substance? That remains doubtful.