The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, but the Golden State Warriors still appear one piece short of their best possible roster.
At this point, there is only one method by which the Dubs front office can acquire the big body they clearly need along the front line — the buyout market. The leading candidate appears to be 7-foot center Robin Lopez of the Orlando Magic, but other names are also in the mix.
Per NBC Sports, those names include Tristan Thompson, currently of the Indiana Pacers by way of the Sacramento Kings; DeAndre Jordan of the Los Angeles Lakers; and Paul Millsap of the Philadelphia 76ers by way of the Brooklyn Nets.
The Warriors expressed interest in Millsap as recently as last offseason, before the four-time All-Star chose to seek his elusive first championship ring as a member of the Nets. The fit proved problematic for the 36-year-old power forward in Brooklyn, and the team agreed earlier this season to seek a new home for him.
The Nets traded Millsap to the Sixers as part of a blockbuster deal that centered around All-Stars James Harden and Ben Simmons. However, Philadelphia is expected to buy out Millsap’s contract, leaving him a free agent to pursue his NBA Finals hopes with another franchise.
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Golden State Pursued Former Nets Forward Millsap During Offseason
GettyLou Williams, of the Atlanta Hawks, dribbles as Paul Millsap and Jevon Carter, of the Brooklyn Nets, defend during the first half at Barclays Center on November 3, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
If the Warriors are still interested, they could prove a solid organizational fit for Millsap.
The forward averaged 3.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1 assist per game on 11.3 minutes per night in Brooklyn, according to Basketball Reference. Millsap appeared in just 24 of 57 games in for the Nets this season. Before that, he played his entire career with talented teams in the Utah Jazz, Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets, though none were ever true title contenders while Millsap was a member of the roster.
Mutual interest existed between Golden State and Millsap last offseason. The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported in September that Millsap had strongly considered joining the Dubs for the 2021-22 campaign before ultimately landing elsewhere.
“Millsap considered several playoff contenders — including the Warriors, [Chicago] Bulls and [Los Angeles] Clippers — before the four-time All-Star committed to a championship favorite in Brooklyn,” Charania tweeted.
While Millsap’s struggles in the months since have likely lowered his value to the Warriors, it’s also fair to expect he might contribute more in a situation that offered more playing time. There were murmurs the Dubs might have considered trading for Millsap before the NBA’s February 10 deadline, though no move ever materialized.
Warriors Biggest Flaw is Interior Defense With Draymond Green Hurt
GettyGolden State Warriors forward Draymond Green on the court during a game against the Indiana Pacers.
The Warriors have several weeks left to make a move for a big man, but waiting too long could prove a mistake.
Dubs forward Draymond Green has been out more than a month with back and calf issues and could miss the rest of February before suiting up again, if he doesn’t end up sitting even longer.
On February 7, Golden State’s only true center Kevon Looney suffered a minor injury against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which threatened his ability to play. His quad contusion, reported first by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater the following day, forced the Warriors to consider what the worst case scenario might look like with both Looney and Green out and no one on the bench to replace them.
Kevon Looney is questionable for tomorrow’s game in Utah with a left quad contusion. Happened on a collision while setting a screen last night in OKC. He’s played every game this season. The Warriors’ only currently healthy true center. Andre Iguodala out with back tightness.
“Kevon Looney is questionable for tomorrow’s game in Utah with a left quad contusion,” Slater wrote. “Happened on a collision while setting a screen last night in OKC. He’s played every game this season. The Warriors’ only currently healthy true center. Andre Iguodala out with back tightness.”
Looney ended up playing the next game, though it was one of his worst performances of the year. The big man scored just 2 points on 1-for-4 shooting from the field in 23 minutes played. The Jazz blew out the Warriors by a score of 111-85, handing the Dubs their worst loss of the season and snapping a nine-game winning streak. Golden State also lost the following day, falling by a basket to the New York Knicks.
Steph Curry and Warriors rebounded with a narrow win over LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, February 12. The Dubs took to the court against the Clippers in L.A. Monday night with a record of 42-15, good enough for second place in the entire NBA behind only the Western Conference-leading Phoenix Suns.
Regardless of how good they have been up until now, Golden State needs to improve the defensive depth along the front line if they hope to match up with the interior size of teams like the Jazz, the Suns and the Sixers come playoff time.
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Warriors Considering 4-Time All-Star as Target in NBA Buyout Market