As impressive as the Golden State Warriors have been in their last three road games, highlighted by two impressive victories over a rising power in the West, the San Antonio Spurs, some pundits are still skeptical about their chances of making a deep playoff run.
These experts may not be wrong either, considering that Warriors superstar Steph Curry had to go supernova and score a combined 95 points in the two games against the Spurs to help them pull off close wins.
One former NBA player turned credible media personality who believes that the Warriors, as presently constructed, don't have what it takes to scale the NBA mountain is Chandler Parsons. However, he proposed a solution that could give them a superstar who could bring them over the top: trade Jonathan Kuminga to the Dallas Mavericks for Anthony Davis.
The Warriors have gone all in
The Warriors have made it abundantly clear which direction they're going this season and the next few ones: all in for the Larry O'Brien trophy. There won't be any more of the two-timeline approach that saw them try to integrate several young guns while trying to maximize the greatness of their current core, led by the inimitable Curry.
Parsons explained that while Kuminga has shown he has bought into his role with the Dubs after signing a two-year deal in the offseason, what he's bringing to the table isn't sufficient to push them over the top. Having a veteran big man like Davis, though, is a completely different story.
"They've shown the more talent they can have, the more they're going to make a splash in the West. And obviously, you put him with Steph Curry and Draymond, I think if you put anybody with those two guys — including Jimmy Butler — you give yourself an opportunity to win a lot of basketball games," Parsons stated on "Run It Back."
Make no mistake about it — the battle-tested Warriors can bang with the best of them. However, when pitted against the top-tier teams in the West, such as the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder, the revamped Houston Rockets, and the steady Denver Nuggets, their lack of size becomes an issue.
"This team's already older. This team is already built right now to win, and what they have constructed, I don't think is enough," Parsons pointed out. "So yeah, I like adding Anthony Davis to this core — maximize the end of the Steph Curry era and try and go all in."
An elite defensive team
Acquiring Davis is a high-risk, high-reward move, given his extensive injury. Last season saw him play in only 51 games, and so far this season, he has been limited to only five after suffering a calf injury. However, former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams explained that the Warriors' core is built to withstand an extended absence from AD if they succeed in acquiring him.
"Those three guys from Draymond to Steph to Jimmy — they're durable guys. So even if you bring over AD and he goes out with another injury or something like that, your ship is still steady," Lou Will surmised.
"And they'd be really good defensively," Parsons chimed in.
As it is, the Warriors are the seventh-best defensive team in the league in terms of defensive rating. They're also only limiting opponents to 114.0 points a game, which is also seventh-best in the NBA. It's clear that the Dubs are already locked in on the defensive end and adding a proven rim protector in AD will only solidify their dominance.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.