Getty Serge Ibaka of the Milwaukee Bucks and Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
The Golden State Warriors have been one of the more disappointing teams in the NBA so far this season. After bringing home their fourth NBA Championship in eight years at the end of last season, they currently find themselves sitting at 25-24, good for seventh place in the Western Conference standings.
A big reason behind their struggles has been their subpar bench unit, and more specifically, James Wiseman has been unable to consistently perform well off the bench. In turn, they could look to add big man help by the February 9 trade deadline, and Brett Siegel of Sports Illustrated listed them as a potential landing spot for Milwaukee Bucks big man Serge Ibaka.
While the Golden State Warriors have made it clear that they are not willing to give up on their young core of James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody just yet, they may not have to in a trade for Serge Ibaka.
“One of the glaring weaknesses of the Warriors right now lies in their frontcourt, a weakness that has been present for quite some time, and with both JaMychal Green and James Wiseman dealing with injuries, they have been left very thin behind Kevon Looney and Draymond Green.
Adding another big man is something many around the league believe the Warriors have a little bit of interest in and someone like Serge Ibaka could fit the mold of player that they want on their bench perfectly,” Siegel wrote.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Ibaka and the Bucks have agreed to part ways.
“The Milwaukee Bucks and center-forward Serge Ibaka have mutually agreed to find the 14-year NBA veteran a new home via trade as he remains away from the team, league sources told The Athletic on Friday. Here’s what you need to know.”
He’s not the player he once was, but he could still prove to be a more reliable big man option than Wiseman. Adding his veteran presence alone could be enough to sway the Warriors into pursuing a deal, especially considering the price is likely at an all-time low.
Warriors Urged to Pursue Pascal Siakam Trade
While a trade for added bench depth is very possible, there have been some rumblings surrounding the idea that Golden State should make a deal for a star. According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, a source he spoke to suggested that the Warriors ditch Draymond Green in a deal to land Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam.
“One executive suggested the Warriors give up their younger players (James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody) along with Draymond Green to the Raptors for Siakam and others,” Pincus wrote.
Warriors Want to Add ‘Proven Player’
Regardless of if they trade for a bench piece or a star, the Warriors do have a goal at the trade deadline. According to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, they want to add a “proven player” this season.
“A sampling of GMs, scouts and front-office executives identified the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks as interested buyers on the trade market, looking to add a proven player — or two — to complement their star-studded core and improve their championship title chances in June,” Bucher wrote.