Getty Head Coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors reacts during the first half against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on March 25, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors have 11 days to add a big man to their roster and bolster the interior before beginning their playoff push.
General manager Bob Myers has stood pat on his assessment that there wasn’t a deal to be made at the trade deadline for a big man that would have helped the Warriors more than it would have hurt them. Golden State has also remained stagnant when it comes to the buyout market, which represents an opportunity for teams to find depth at value in the form of unhappy and/or under-utilized players departing opposing rosters late in the season.
Though he is not currently playing for an NBA franchise, there is a championship-caliber defensive presence active in professional basketball who the Warriors could pursue now that the team has ruled James Wiseman out for the rest of the year. That player is center Marc Gasol.
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NBA Analyst Names Gasol as Possible Pre-Playoffs Addition to Warriors
GettyFormer Los Angeles Lakers center Marc Gasol.
Gasol, 37, most recently played in the NBA last season as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. He was also an integral part of the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors team that bested the Warriors in their most recent NBA Finals appearance. Before that, Gasol spent 10 years with the Memphis Grizzlies as one of the best defenders in the league, earning trips to three All-Star Games.
NBA insider Marc J. Spears of ESPN appeared on the Tuesday, March 29 edition of KNBR’s Papa & Lund podcast to discuss the Wiseman injury. During the interview, Spears mentioned being puzzled that the Dubs have not actively pursued a backup for Wiseman who can help center Kevon Looney deal with opposing big men the Warriors are likely to see in the Western Conference Playoffs — such as Deandre Ayton of the Phoenix Suns or Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.
“I just thought that with [Wiseman’s] injury, what he was recovering from, the unknown, they needed an insurance big man. They needed somebody else, just in case something like this happened,” Spears said. “I really thought there should have been a big man the Warriors added to their roster. It’s a really, really guard-heavy roster.”
Spears mentioned Gasol by name as a potential option for the Dubs to reinforce their front line, though he also admitted he is uncertain of Gasol’s level of interest in returning to the NBA. The center is currently playing professionally in Spain.
“If you do make a move, could it cost you [Juan] Toscano-Anderson? Are you willing to do that this late in the game?” Spears added. “Is there anybody out there worthy of making such a move? I’m not sure.”
Myers Addresses Golden State’s Lack of Action on Adding Big Man
GettyGolden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers (left) and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr (right) stand on stage during a news conference at team headquarters.
Spears added that from what he has heard, the Warriors’ front office is not going to change its mind on adding a big man — even knowing now that Wiseman will not return for the playoffs and that Draymond Green is a risk to re-injure his back moving forward.
Myers appeared on 95.7 The Game Wednesday, March 24, speaking openly about his thought process on roster moves over the past few months.
I can say this, there wasn’t some great big man that was available. We canvassed and looked around and tried to figure that out. We’re somewhat limited in tradeable assets. We have four veterans making a good chunk of money, and then Looney and then our rookie scale guys. So you don’t have a lot of tradeable salary, which people listening may or may not care about, but salaries have to match in a trade.
If I had known that [Green] would be back when he was or that [Wiseman] would suffer setbacks, who knows? Any team could say that. But at the time, thinking [Wiseman] is coming back, thinking [Green] is coming back a little bit earlier, probably fed into that.
Myers is equipped with all that knowledge now, however, and has a chance to address what appears to be the Warriors’ greatest weakness as they prepare to make another title run beginning in April. Whether he will or not is perhaps the team’s No. 1 question — aside from the health of star point guard Steph Curry, who remains sidelined with a sprained ligament in his foot — as Golden State heads shakily into the playoffs.