Grade the Trade: Cavaliers pull off wild deal with Warriors in latest proposal

Would this Warriors team be the title favorite?

The Warriors would be making the biggest swing of any of these teams. Their future is in large part tied up in three young players: Jordan Poole, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody. Trading all three in this deal would put a lot of pressure on the Warriors to win now. Could they with this new lineup?

There would be seven starting-level players now in San Francisco, not even counting Gary Payton II. Does Draymond Green move to a Sixth Man role with Andrew Wiggins starting alongside Lauri Markkanen and Jarrett Allen in the frontcourt? Or does Wiggins move to the 2 and slide Klay Thompson to the bench? Kevon Looney also gets marginalized with Allen in town, although he is used to that in Golden State.

The Warriors would suddenly have a tremendous amount of size, and Markkanen would help replace the shooting lost by Poole and Moody. They would still have a large hole at backup point guard, however, unless Ryan Rollins is suddenly ready for a consistent role.

This trade makes them better, but is it enough to make them title favorites? They have won for years without investing heavily in the center position; their best lineups will likely be with Allen off the floor. Can Markkanen survive defensively in the playoffs? And can Steve Kerr manage all of the egos as he tries to balance seven players who all think they should start (six of which are former All-Stars still in their primes)?

This deal would make them better. They may even win a title. But it’s a big swing, and the downside risk is significant.