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Zach Lavine or Pascal Siakam: Which Star Fits Better With Stephen Curry, Warriors

Published 01/17/2024, 4:58 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

A dark shadow has been cast over the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry chewing his mouthpiece in defeat has become a regular sight. The franchise ranks 12th in the Western Conference. Their marquee players are failing to assist the Baby Face Assassin. There are also reports of internal friction. Considering everything, the trade deadline could be the only way the Warriors can save their season.

Currently, they rank 13th on offense. Considering the life of the system is Curry, their ranking is atrocious. As a defense, with Draymond Green sitting half the season due to suspension, that side of the floor is where opponents exploit them. They are 25th out of the 30 teams in defensive rating at 117.7.

In terms of their roster, prominent names are severely underperforming. Klay Thompson, a revered sharpshooter is converting a career-low from three. Andrew Wiggins is a shell of himself. It’s become so that if Steph Curry doesn’t blast, the Warriors fumble.
The hope to salvage the season could be making moves. Luckily, two candidates could fit into this roster.

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Zach Lavine and Pascal Siakam are on the table

Of course, the Warriors aren’t the only ones struggling to find their rhythm this season. A prominent organization that has failed to make good of its core are the Chicago Bulls. Their offensively gifted big 3 hasn’t paid dividends. As they float outside the play-in, talks around Zach Lavine have gained weight. The athletic guard is an elite shot creator, someone who can space the floor and get his own offense. With Klay’s decline, Lavine might be the perfect second option next to Stephen Curry.

Having only played 24 games, the zesty scorer is only averaging 20 points per game. But if you think about it, that’s all the Warriors need on a consistent basis.

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USA Today via Reuters

The other route they can choose is to go for Pascal Siakam. The lifelong Toronto Raptors forward is a skillful inside scorer. Gifted with size and a natural feel for the game, Siakam can impact any team. Considering the Raptors are looking to rebuild, they won’t mind trading Siakam after dealing OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks. It is all a question of what they get in return. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley signal the franchise wanting young and promising talents to flood their roster.

READ MORE-Warriors Coach Steve Kerr is Dubious on Stephen Curry and Co’s “Last Dance”

Can the Warriors offer that? More importantly, should they?

Pascal Siakam might be the better option

The Warriors need to improve drastically on defense. They need someone who can combine with the returned Draymond Green and cause chaos. As good as Lavine is as a scoring weapon, the Bay needs something more than just a scorer. The Bulls guard is agile, rapid but not a well-reputed defender.

Siakam on the other hand stands at 6’9” with incredibly quick hands. Furthermore, he has the flexibility to guard multiple positions. If stationed with Green, the Warriors’ defense becomes hard to penetrate. His averaging 22 points is just an added bonus.

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USA Today via Reuters

The Athletic’s Anthony Slater proposed a mock trade to make the move possible. The Warriors would have to lose, Jonathan Kuminga, and two first-round picks. According to him, the Warriors might see the price to be “too steep”. However, that is what their season has come down to. If they want to rescue their campaign, they need to make those steep moves.

In theory, the Warriors lose two major bench pieces. Paul is the playmaker and Kuminga is blossoming into the future. But against that, they get the opportunity to prolong their production with Stephen Curry. The front office knows they don’t have many years to enjoy. With that said, they should go for the Siakam trade.

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They gain a lot more than they lose if they do pull the trigger. Siakam will restore the hopes of the Dub Nation and make Warriors football a spectacle again.

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Written by:

Anuj Talwalkar

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Anuj Talwalkar is an NBA writer at EssentiallySports. Having composed close to 2000 articles, he aspires to manage his own team one day and is pursuing a top-tier college-level management program specializing in sports. Anuj's love for basketball blossomed after he started following the NBA a few years ago, and he decided to merge his writing skills with his understanding of this thrilling game.
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