Just as Draymond Green and Stephen Curry hinted, the Golden State Warriors are not looking to make a splashy trade deadline move to bring in another star.
Instead, the Warriors are looking to make a minor move to get bigger, Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto reported on January 16.
“The Warriors have continued their due diligence on the trade market and inquired about potential frontcourt upgrades, including Nikola Vučević, John Collins, Jonas Valanciunas, and Robert Williams, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote.
Those four names do not scream stars but role players who could give the Warriors more size. A trade for one of them could also mean the end of Kevon Looney‘s tenure in Golden State.
Vučević has emerged as their top trade target among the four big men, The Athletic reported on January 4.
“Nikola Vučević has actually emerged as the more discussed Warriors’ trade target, according to team and league sources. The front office and coaching staff have acknowledged back to training camp this team’s need for a true stretch center, something [Stephen] Curry has never really had,” the report said.
Vučević could cost a first-round pick, several NBA executives told Scotto.
The Warriors technically have three first-round picks available to trade: two unprotected picks in 2025 and 2027 or 2026 and 2028) and their 2030 pick if it falls from 1 to 20; it goes to Washington if it falls 21 to 30.
Vučević is due for $20 million this season and owed $21.4 million next season as part of his three-year, $60 million extension he signed in 2023.
The 34-year-old Bulls center is having the best 3-point shooting season of his career, hitting a remarkable 42.2% from behind the arc while averaging 20.1 points and 10.4 rebounds. However, Vučević’s defense leaves much to be desired.
Steph Curry Warns Warriors Front Office
As the Warriors are trying to stay afloat while Jonathan Kuminga recuperates from his ankle injury, Curry warned their front office not to rush into making a move that will set the organization back.
“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done,” Curry told reporters following their 104-101 loss in Toronto on January 13. “[It] Doesn’t mean that you’re not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean that you’re not active in any type of search to, if you have an opportunity where a trade makes sense or even in the summer free agency [move] makes sense. You want to continue to get better.”
“Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But it doesn’t mean that you’re desperate just flinging assets all around the place just because you want to do something.”
Curry strongly believes the Warriors will continue to operate with a sense of reason despite their maddening season.
“If there was a situation that made sense for our team, I’m pretty sure we’d know about it,” Curry added. “That’s how we’ve always operated. That’s the expectation now until Feb. 6.”
Draymond Green Says Warriors Neither Bad Team or Organization
Before Curry warned the Warriors’ front office of making a desperate move, Green expressed confidence they would not do anything stupid.
“The beautiful part about being in the space that we’re in is, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we’re going for it right now,” Green said in an interview with Yahoo Sports. “Bad teams do that. Bad organizations do that. We’re neither one.
“So for us, if something is going to happen, it needs to be the right thing,” Green continued. “We’re not going to jump and make the wrong decision because we panicked. That’s how you set your organization back five to seven years.”
Since Curry and Green’s comments, the Warriors have returned to .500, barely beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-115 to cap their four-game road trip.
Comments
Warriors Continuing ‘Due Diligence’ on Four Trade Targets: Report