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If the Golden State Warriors continue on the same track that they’ve been playing after suffering three losses in a row, the team will no longer be a playoff-contending team. With All-Star Stephen Curry playing at an MVP level and the rest of the team finally getting in sync, the Warriors have exceeded their preseason expectations after losing one of their key players, Klay Thompson, due to an injury.
With this in consideration, critics acclaim that the team may need to go all in and make a blockbuster trade in order to save the rest of their season. However, this is a little difficult for the team because they are very close to their salary cap, which would mean that some of their players would need to be included in a deal. In an interview, Warriors general manager Bob Myers goes into detail about the franchise’s thought process as the trade deadline quickly approaches.
Myers Sheds Some Light
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Golden State currently has four players with high-value deals: Curry, Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins. It is unlikely that the Warriors would get rid of either one of the first three, however, Wiggins is becoming more of an unlikely choice as well. With Wiggins’ solid action so far this season, being able to acquire a player like Blake Griffin or with Bradeley Beal-like talent would take a lot from the Warriors which has Myers considering sitting this trade deadline out. In an interview with Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area, Myers is clear about the team’s intentions.
“I don’t think we want to think too short-term and give up something in the future just to make a little bit of a push now. As hard as that is to stay discipline, I think we would hope that anything that we would decide to do had legs beyond this year or had advantages beyond the rest of this season.”
What impacted the Warriors the most this season happened before the tipoff of their very first game of the season. After already being out for the entirety of last season due to an ACL injury in the 2019 NBA Finals, Thompson suffered an Achilles injury right before the 2020 NBA Draft, which left the team in a very tough place. Until the return of the other half of the Splash Bros., the team will not be at its full potential.
Warriors Remain Competitive
GettySAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 04: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors is congratulated by teammates after he made a three-point basket against the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center on January 04, 2021 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Without their final component, the Warriors will not be at 100 percent in order to take on powerful opponents in their conference. However, the team still has managed to beat powerhouses like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers without him, which shows that they still possess the capability to be successful in the postseason, they just have to make it there.
The team is remaining competitive after trading for Kelly Oubre Jr. during the offseason in order to help the frontcourt in some fashion. The team also acquired veterans Brad Wanamaker and Kent Bazemore and filled their need for a center by drafting 19-year-old James Wiseman with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft.
According to Myers, it appears that the Warriors will still remain competitive without making a blockbuster trade. As Myers stated, the Warriors do have the assets in order to make a trade happen, however, their future is prioritized over their present success. The trade deadline is approaching and it wouldn’t be surprising if the Warriors remained silent.