Getty Draymond Green #23 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors greet before playing against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry had a painful look in his eyes not because of what they didn’t do at the trade deadline. But what they did to one of their veteran players.
The Warriors traded Cory Joseph in an underwhelming move that failed to back up the reports of their “everyone but Steph Curry” mindset leading to the February 8 trade deadline.
“It sucks losing Cory. Anybody knows Cory Joseph and his personality and his presence, he’s the ultimate professional,” Curry told reporters unprompted after scoring 42 points February 8 in the Warriors’ 131-109 rout of the Indiana Pacers. “He brings just a great spirit in the locker room helping the young guys. He’s been around. He knows how to play, so that type of guy is a connector. We’re going to miss him for sure, and that was obviously tough. I understand the business of the game and the money and all that, but I’m going to miss him for sure.”
Joseph averaged 11.2 minutes in 26 appearances with the Warriors, scoring 2.4 points a game and making 1.2 assists per game.
He traveled with the Warriors to Indiana only to get traded to the Pacers, along with $5.8 million, for a 2024 second-round pick. The day ended with the 32-year-old guard jobless after the Pacers waived him. Meanwhile, the Warriors save $8 million in luxury tax, per The Athletic’s John Hollinger.
Steph Curry Privy to Warriors’ Trade Deadline Options
Curry acknowledged that he was privy to the team’s trade deadline moves, including the ones that did not happen.
“Yes, there’s a lot of options until [it] materializes. You don’t really get too worked up about it, especially from a player standpoint,” Curry said. “I probably sure get half of the news that they talk about in their meetings and all that type of stuff.”
According to K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports-Chicago, the Warriors nixed a potential deal for All-Defensive guard and NBA champion Alex Caruso.
“In exploratory trade talks with the Golden State Warriors centered on Caruso, league sources said the Bulls inquired about Jonathan Kuminga‘s availability. That was rebuffed, and the Bulls made clear in talks with all teams that they didn’t want to trade Caruso, especially for a package on perhaps other young pieces like Moses Moody, so they’d need to be floored by an offer to do so,” Johnson wrote on February 8.
Kuminga has played his way into becoming “virtually untouchable.”
“He’s certainly at that level,” Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. said via The Athletic. “I didn’t see a scenario where Jonathan wouldn’t be on our team after this deadline.”
‘Be a Team That Nobody Wants to See Come Playoff Time’
The Warriors stood pat at the trade deadline with the belief that they could turn their season around.
Their 4-1 road trip bolsters that belief. As of February 8, the Warriors hold the 11th seed in the Western Conference but are tied for the 10th and final playoff spot with the 26-27 Utah Jazz.
“It’s just confidence,” Curry said. “This is our team, this is our challenge. We have great energy. We have guys that love playing with each other and this last half of the season is up to us to go out and again try to build as many wins and be a team that nobody wants to see come playoff time and you take it from there.”
The Warriors hope to extend their three-game winning streak when they face the equally red-hot Phoenix Suns at home on Saturday, February 10. The 31-21 Suns are also riding high on a 3-game winning streak and had picked up Royce O’Neale at the trade deadline.