Getty Jonathan Kuminga shoots over Gordon Hayward during a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Charlotte Hornets.
The Golden State Warriors are sitting somewhere between a rock and a hard place as the NBA trade deadline draws nearer. With Stephen Curry providing MVP-worthy output — and Klay Thompson and Draymond Green still performing at a high level, too — the team has designs on maximizing its ability to compete for a title while it still can.
At the same time, everyone from owner Joe Lacob to GM Bob Myers to head coach Steve Kerr seems committed to developing the team’s trio of lottery talents in James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody at the same time.
Of course, serving those two needs simultaneously is, at best, akin to a tightrope walk (and, at worst, a near-impossibility given their contrasting natures). And since winning is clearly objective No. 1 in the Bay, fans, the talking heads and armchair GMs around the hoops blogosphere have been floating trades sacrificing the youth movement to bring in win-now vets.
However, one team insider is reporting that the Warriors aren’t ready or willing to pull the plug on their dual-timeline strategy.
The Athletic: Warriors Aren’t Looking to Sell James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga or Moses Moody
The Athletic‘s Anthony Slater just filed an update on the Warriors’ trade deadline situation, sharing his intel on what the Dubs may or may not do ahead of the Association’s February 9 deal-making deadline. And, from the looks of it, the team still looks to be all-in on bridging its past and present to what lies ahead.
“The Warriors are protective of their future. Lacob has been explicit in his desire to thread the needle and asset-manage this franchise into a never-ending window of relevance…” Slater wrote. “The Warriors aren’t moving with a desperation to maximize the present.”
With that being the case, it’s hard to see the team punting on any of its top prospects, which is why Slater doesn’t see anything happening with them over the next few weeks.
“This is also why Kuminga, Wiseman and Moody remain likely to be with the Warriors beyond the deadline,” added Slater. “They aren’t actively shopping their three recent lottery picks, according to those sources with knowledge of the Warriors’ thinking.”
Of course, the Myers-led front office isn’t exactly hanging up on opposing GMs phone calls, either.
“That isn’t to say they couldn’t be moved in the right deal,” Slater wrote. “But a rival team hoping to obtain them would be searching to get Moody or Wiseman on a bargain, and the Warriors aren’t in sell-low mode.”
Warriors Have a Strong Belief in Kuminga
While Moody has barely been able to get on the floor recently — he only saw five minutes of court time against the Washington Wizards in a back-to-back situation with multiple lineup scratches — and Wiseman’s struggles have been well chronicled, Kuminga has been trending in a positive direction for several weeks now.
The former No. 7 pick had locked down a regular rotation spot before suffering a foot sprain last month and he has averaged 9.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 22.2 minutes per outing since November 21.
As such, he may be the best trade piece the team has currently. As Slater sees it, though, his uptick in production will also make him harder to part with.
“He’s shown more and could net more, but he’s also worth more to the Warriors. Considering what he’s flashed as an individual point of attack defender — something the rest of this roster lacks — there’s internal belief he will be a necessary playoff rotation contributor.”