Getty Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors.
This has been a weird season for the Golden State Warriors. Last year, they were the NBA Champions, but so far this season, they’re a middle-of-the-pack team struggling to maintain their place in the Play-In Tournament race. Injuries have hurt them, but they were underperforming even before that.
If they want to return to championship form, attacking the trade market might be their best hope. Guys like James Wiseman and Moses Moody haven’t quite panned out. And according to sources who spoke with Sean Deveney of Heavy Sports, Stephen Curry will be pissed at Golden State’s trade deadline strategy (or lack thereof).
“Steph lets it be known, and he has let it be known that he is going to be 35 [in March], and he does not have time to wait for James Wiseman to make trips to the G League,” a Western Conference executive told Deveney. “He also is not of the mindset that they won a championship last year, and they should be satisfied with that – he will be pissed, frankly, if they do nothing and they lose in the play-in or something.”
Curry has been loyal to the Warriors for the entirety of his career. He’s led them to championships, taken a step back when it was time for Kevin Durant to come to town, and even took a pay cut to make that move happen in the first place.
Everything he’s done throughout the course of his career has been with the best interest of the Warriors in mind. And for the most part, they’ve returned the favor, treating him like royalty in Golden State. But now, there are differentiating ideologies.
While Curry would almost certainly prefer the team to make win-now moves to help him, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson push for another championship, the front office seems intent on keeping their young players around. This could lead to some conflict and a pissed-off Curry.
Warriors Urged to Trade Moody Over Wiseman
Heading into the season, the Warriors were hoping that their youngsters – like Wiseman, Moody, and Jonathan Kuminga – would step up and keep the team’s bench unit rolling. They were expected to take over for guys like Gary Payton II, Otto Porter Jr., and Nemanja Bjelica.
But with how much they’ve struggled, trading the young players could be their best pathway toward improvement. However, according to Patrick Espino of the Oakland Warriors podcast, the Warriors should trade Moody instead of Wiseman.
“There’s so much chatter, right, like, if you go on social, if you go on Twitter, there’s just so much Wiseman hate,” Epino said. “And, I’ve said, and I’ve interacted with folks on YouTube about this, like, ‘Hey, and I think I talked to you about this too, it’s like, well, you know, maybe we can move Moody?’ And, not knocking Moody, in general. I think all the lotto picks will be long-time solid NBA players, solid to very good too, hopefully, in Kuminga’s case, excellent NBA players. But it’s like, you know, if there’s anyone to move, of course, he’s the one that I would be okay moving.”
Warriors Want to Trade for Shooting & Size
If the Warriors do decide to make moves at the deadline, adding depth will be crucial. According to Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area, the Warriors are looking to add shooting and size at the trade deadline this year.
“With the NBA trade deadline precisely 30 days away, the Warriors are active in the market, according to league sources,” Poole wrote. “Though nothing is said to be imminent – the front office is more concerned with getting Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins back to speed – there is a desire to add size and shooting.”