Golden State realized the stronger long-term return. The Warriors acquired rights to Patrick McCaw from Milwaukee Bucks for $2.4M cash.
Milwaukee selected Patrick McCaw with the No. 38 pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, then sold his draft rights to Golden State for $2.4 million in cash. For the Warriors, the transaction was a low-risk way to add a long, defensive-minded wing to a championship roster without surrendering another player or future pick. McCaw made the team immediately and earned a real rookie role rather than spending the season as a developmental stash.
As a rookie, McCaw appeared in 71 regular-season games, started 20 and averaged 4.0 points in 15.1 minutes. He also played in 15 postseason games, including three starts, during Golden State's 2017 title run. McCaw returned for 57 games and 10 starts in 2017-18, again averaging 4.0 points, before injuries reduced his playoff role. Across two Warriors seasons, he logged 128 regular-season games and 30 starts while being part of two championship teams.
The return was useful but finite. McCaw became a restricted free agent after his second season and did not accept Golden State's qualifying offer. After a prolonged standoff, he signed Cleveland's offer sheet in December 2018; the Warriors declined to match. Cleveland waived him days later, and McCaw eventually joined Toronto and won another championship. Golden State therefore received two inexpensive rotation seasons for its cash payment but no downstream asset when the relationship ended.
Milwaukee's side is straightforward: the Bucks turned the No. 38 selection into $2.4 million rather than keeping McCaw or another player at that spot. Cash has organizational value, and second-round outcomes are uncertain, so the decision was not catastrophic. Hindsight still favors Golden State because McCaw became a rotation contributor on two title teams at a minimal acquisition cost. The canonical B+ for the Warriors and C+ for Milwaukee reflects useful championship depth against a return that never produced on-court value.
Warriors Win — Golden State B+, Milwaukee C+. Golden State paid $2.4 million for the rights to Patrick McCaw and received 128 regular-season games, 30 starts and postseason minutes across two championship seasons. McCaw's Warriors tenure ended after a restricted-free-agency standoff, so the deal did not create a lasting asset beyond those two years. Milwaukee received cash rather than basketball value from the No. 38 pick. For a contender buying a second-round prospect with money alone, Golden State extracted the stronger completed return.