Getty Justise Winslow of the Miami Heat
Former Miami Heat lottery pick Justise Winslow seems to have found a role with the Portland Trail Blazers, who started the season hot at 5-2.
Still, if the Blazers happen to fall off in a talented Western Conference and cut Winslow free, the defending champion Golden State Warriors would be interested in his services, according to a Western Conference general manager who spoke with Heavy Sports insider Sean Deveney.
Per the GM, the Warriors — who started the season 3-6 — miss Gary Payton II, a defensive stopper who also signed with the Blazers.
“They could be active when the buyout market comes into play,” the GM told Deveney. “If a guy like a Justise Winslow comes available, they would want him, someone who can be a defensive ace like Gary Payton II was. He is probably not going to get a buyout but that is the kind of guy they will be looking for.”
Winslow doesn’t particularly seem like a buyout candidate, the GM noted. He is averaging 25.0 minutes per game for the Blazers and has been deeply impactful defensively in his minutes. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Blazers’ defense has been 11.2 points per 100 possession better with Winslow on the floor, which puts Winslow in the 88th percentile league-wide. Unless the Blazers fall off significantly, a player like Winslow would fit nicely next to star guard Damian Lillard.
Winslow — whom the Heat snagged with the No. 10 pick in the 2015 draft — hasn’t always been able to stay healthy. In 2019-20, he played just 11 games for the Heat and Grizzlies after a February trade due to back and hip injuries. He played 48 games in 2021-22.
Don’t Expect the Warriors to Trade a Young Player to Improve
According to the GM, the Warriors are disappointed with their start and, particularly, with their second unit, but they still aren’t willing to pawn off their young talent to improve the roster yet.
“[Donte] DiVincenzo is hurt and he was not all that good even when he was playing,” the GM told Deveney. “[Jordan] Poole has not been great off the bench, and the young guys have not stepped into the roles they thought they would. They defended [Jonathan] Kuminga’s work ethic but they are not really playing him. [Moses’ Moody has struggled with his shot. They’ve been back and forth on using JaMychal Green. So it is a bit of a mess there for them. They would like to make a move to help that bench but they won’t make the step of moving a young player to do that.”
The Warriors’ Defense Overall Has Struggled
While early numbers aren’t always reliable, the Warriors have plenty of reason to worry about their defensive struggles. According to Cleaning the Glass, the Warriors’ defense is 25th league-wide, allowing 116.3 points per 100 possessions. Last season, the Warriors put together the No. 2 defense en route to the title, giving up just 107.6 points per 100 possessions.
“You have to be in sync on defense and part of being in sync is having five guys talking, really being comfortable with the scheme and with trusting each other on the communication,” Kerr told reporters on October 30 after a loss to the Charlotte Hornets. “So some of that has been lacking, you saw some problems last night in our switching and defense.
“So it’s all stuff we have to get better with.”