NBA fans are split on if the Warriors should go all-in

Keep young assets, or trade them for proven veterans? The debate rages on.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Each week, we send out questions to the most plugged in Golden State Warriors fans, and fans across the country. Sign up here to join Reacts.

It was about halfway through the 2020-21 season, with James Wiseman struggling, and the Golden State Warriors looking primed to snag a quality pick from the Minnesota Timberwolves, that the question first started to gain traction. Should the Dubs trade some young assets in an attempt to maximize their current championship window, and build the best possible team around Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green, even if it leaves no path for rebuilding in the future?

That question only heated up as the 2021 NBA Draft neared, and while it slowed down after Golden State selected Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody with their lottery picks, it never fully went away.

The Warriors didn’t opt to trade their young assets for All-Star veterans, though it’s hard to say if that was by design or not. Only four All-Stars were ever mentioned as being potential trade targets: Damian Lillard and Bradley Beal, who were never available; Ben Simmons, whom the Philadelphia 76ers want far too much for; and Pascal Siakam, who isn’t as good as the other three.

It now seems as unlikely as ever that the Warriors will swing such a big move, but it’s still a talking point within the NBA. And according to the latest SB Nation Reacts survey, NBA fans are split on what would be the best move, with just over half of polled fans believing Golden State should go all-in, even if it means trading promising young talent.

Warriors fans see things a little differently, though they’re still fairly conflicted. Of the Golden State fans who were polled, the majority want the Dubs to hang onto Wiseman, Kuminga, and Moody, though it’s pretty close.

It’s always fun to see how a team is viewed by their own fanbase relative to the average NBA fan. For instance, 54% of polled NBA fans think the Los Angeles Lakers will regret trading their depth for Russell Westbrook, while just 21% of Lakers fans feel that way.

Similarly, 71% of NBA fans side with the 76ers in their feud with Simmons, but among polled Sixers fans, a whopping 100% sided with the team.

By contrast, the difference between Warriors fans and NBA fans with regards to the team’s young assets was barely noticeable.

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