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There were no blockbusters for the Golden State Warriors at Thursday’s trade deadline, but the team made a pair of moves that could lead to an even bigger deal in the coming days.
The Warriors were rumored to be in talks for Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo and Atlanta Hawks wing Bogdan Bogdanovic, but instead opted to make two smaller moves that bring no new players but free up roster spots that could be a prelude to other acquisitions.
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Warriors Trade Two Reserves
The Warriors dealt a pair of reserves on Thursday, sending Brad Wanamaker to the Charlotte Hornets and dealing Marquese Chriss to the San Antonio Spurs. As Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported, Golden State received only cash for both players, which opened up their roster spots.
“No currently rostered players are coming back to the Warriors in the Wanamaker to Charlotte or Chriss to San Antonio deals, I’m told,” Slater tweeted. “No picks being exchanged either. Just cash, clearing two roster spots for the Warriors as buyout season approaches.”
The moves will likely not change the immediate dynamic for the Warriors. Both Chriss and Wanamaker were near the bottom of head coach Steve Kerr’s rotation, and have been supplanted by others. As Monte Poole of NBC Sports noted, Wanamaker was made expendable by the rise of rookie Nico Mannion, whose strong play appears to have earned him a spot as the second unit point guard.
While Thursday’s trade may mean a bigger role for him going forward, Mannion still said it was difficult to lose a teammate and mentor in Wanamaker.
“It’s not fun, I can’t imagine his position but my position, he was one of my vets,” Mannion told reporters on Thursday, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “Had me under his wing since the day I got here, teaching me about the game, helping me out, and it’s honestly sad. I’ll miss Brad, best of luck to him, but right now we’re gonna be really focused on just these next 28 games and making a playoff push.”
Warriors Could Still Make Moves
With the two roster spots open, the Warriors would be able to pursue players who receive buyouts — a market expected to include a few big names. Golden State was reportedly interested in LaMarcus Aldridge, who is expected to receive a buyout from the San Antonio Spurs.
It would likely be a difficult pitch for Golden State, as Aldridge is expected to garner interest from across the league and would be able to sign on with a title contender. At 22-22, the Warriors are hovering around the edges of the playoff race in the Western Conference.
Golden State could run into the same challenges with big man Andre Drummond, who is expected to receive a buyout from the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors are not expected to pursue the former rebounding champion, who is rumored to be picking between the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks after his contract buyout is completed.
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