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As ever, just a handful of days can make a whole lot of difference in the NBA, and the Golden State Warriors are providing a living example of that truism right now. Less than two weeks ago, the team was riding high when Andrew Wiggins’ career night keyed a blowout win over the Houston Rockets (the Dubs’ seventh W in nine tries).
Flash forward to now and Golden State has suddenly dropped four of five, Wiggins is out with an injury, Steph Curry looks to be joining him and there’s a real possibility that the team could fall multiple games below the .500 mark during its current six-game road trip.
Clearly, all is not going according to plan in the Bay. Sure, strides have been made as of late, but there’s growing concern that the team has dug itself too much of a hole to be a real factor in this year’s title race.
With that being the case, the chatter about the team potentially moving one or more of its prospects for a playoff-ready veteran is growing louder by the day. And one league insider thinks that Warriors brass may just be engaging in it, too.
B/R Insider: Keep an Eye on the Warriors
Bleacher Report‘s Eric Pincus was back on Wednesday with a round-up of trade intel and players to watch as we draw nearer to February’s deadline for deal-making. Regarding Golden State, the league insider noted that the team could make moves to alter its current current two-timeline plan if there’s an opporunity to boost the title bid.
Wrote Pincus:
“The team may stay the course and let them grow into roles, but if the Warriors feel they need actual ready-to-win value to replace players they lost in free agency (Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., etc.), that may come at the expense of their youth movement.”
Pincus is of the opinion that trades will be available to the Warriors, too, should they elect to go down that road. “Rebuilding franchises would undoubtedly have interest, which could lead to multi-team deals,” he wrote. “It may be the surefire way for Golden State to stay on top, although it may sacrifice its future.”
As it happens, some of the pieces they’d be looking at sacrificing have elevated their level of play in recent days.
Blue-Chippers Showing Off Their Massive Potential
With Wiggins on the shelf, former No. 7 overall pick Jonathan Kuminga has been getting extra minutes. And he’s been using the additional court time to remind the world why the Warriors got on board with the dual-timeline situation in the first place.
Over the four-game stretch entering the Warriors’ Wednesday bout with the Indiana Pacers, Kuminga averaged 16.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 asssists while converting on 72.2% of his shot attempts and 50.0% of his tries from long range.
Meanwhile, former No. 2 overall pick James Wiseman finally looks to be making some real headway in the G League. During the Sea Dubs’ Dec. 11 game against the Oklahoma City Blue, the big man dropped 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting. He also added 16 rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
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League Insider Sounds Off on Warriors’ Trade Deadline Strategy