Warriors trade a rotation pair for the former first and sixth overall choices in a mock trade

With the NBA trade deadline just days away, fans are eagerly anticipating what (if any) moves the Golden State Warriors make that can help change the fortunes of their season.

Another overtime loss against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday pushed the Warriors back to a 21-25 record on the season, with time running out to improve on their 12th-place standing in the Western Conference.

Could the Golden State Warriors take advantage of the Orlando Magic’s reported interest in veteran point-guard Chris Paul?

Action Network’s Matt Moore reported on Saturday that the Orlando Magic have interest in adding a veteran-point guard before the trade deadline, with Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry on top of their wish list.

The 38-year-old has missed 11-straight games after fracturing his hand against the Detroit Pistons on January 5, which could prove Paul’s last game for Golden State should he be dealt before the deadline.

The Warriors rank second in offense over the last 15 games — that in itself should leave the franchise open to taking calls for Paul over the coming days. The 12-time All-Star has played well this season, yet hasn’t quite been the significance difference-maker the team may have hoped for.

A big stumbling block for both teams is the fact Orlando have literally zero players making more than $17.5 million this season. That means multiple players would have to be included, potentially leaving even bigger rotation question marks for Warrior head coach Steve Kerr.

That doesn’t mean that a deal couldn’t be met, particularly if the Magic are motivated enough to find their veteran point-guard to complement the star young duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Orlando are currently seventh in the Eastern Conference, looking to make their first playoff appearance since 2020.

Moore’s report suggests that the Warriors have interest in Jonathan Issac, the injury plagued-forward who when healthy is one of the best and most versatile defenders in the league. So too do the Magic have interest in Golden State third-year wing Moses Moody, leaving this potential four-player trade between the two teams:

The Magic have long wanted a starting-calibre point-guard to play alongside Banchero and Wagner, with Markelle Fultz having often dealt with injury and the franchise hesitant to give the role to Cole Anthony.

Paul may be far removed from his Hall-of-Fame best, yet Orlando don’t need him to be what he once was. He doesn’t have to be the best or even second-best player on the team, but rather just a strong veteran presence who can get the team organized and make things easier for their young core.

Paul still has one of the best assist-to-turnover ratio’s in the league and after a slow start is shooting a healthy 36.1% from three-point range. He may not bring the Magic into championship contention, but strengthening their playoff hopes should be important for the continual development of Banchero, Wagner and others.

Quite frankly, any team should be trying to take a flyer on Moody who’s been chronically under utilized in the Golden State system. The third-year wing tallied back-to-back 21-point games before injury, providing a showcase of what he could do with increased opportunity.

Adding Moody would only boost the Magic’s plethora of young talent, and despite their better record, they’d probably be able to provide the 21-year-old with more playing time than the Warriors have managed. Orlando take the third-lowest number of three-point attempts in the league, an element the former 14th overall pick could certainly help in improving. Assuming they didn’t sign him to an extension during the offseason, the Magic would get nearly a year-and-a-half to continue Moody’s development before he enters restricted free agency at the end of 2024-25.