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The Golden State Warriors won’t be landing LeBron James or any other star before the trade deadline this season. In fact, they probably won’t do anything.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers told reporters today that they’d be looking at “the big picture” — short-term and long-term — when considering trades, but avoided getting specific about what needs the team might have.
Nevertheless, it’s not impossible to imagine a small move on the edges of the roster. Let’s review the possible moves the Warriors could make to prepare for another championship run and beyond.
Bob Myers breaks down the trade deadline: pic.twitter.com/9N6eqxJKJX
— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) February 1, 2018
Move salary
This is a boring type of move, but it could save a lot of money for owner Joe Lacob. The Warriors have discussed trading JaVale McGee, who has struggled to find playing time this year. Danny Leroux detailed the Warriors’ option of trading Nick Young, which could save more than 15 million dollars in tax money. But the Warriors could still use Young’s shooting, and downgrading a championship roster only to benefit the owners’ pockets would be disappointing.
It’s extremely unlikely, but the Warriors could want to move on from Shaun Livingston and Andre Iguodala. However, if that were to happen, I would guess Bob Myers would wait until the offseason.
Get another option at center
The Warriors’ weakest position is at center, where the Warriors can only completely trust Draymond Green and David West in the playoffs (with a little bit of Kevin Durant thrown in). Zaza Pachulia is too slow, Jordan Bell is too young, and Kevon Looney too marginal.
A week ago, news broke that the Warriors were interested in Knicks center Kyle O’Quinn, a decent center on an expiring contract. The Warriors will definitely not add salary for next year with a trade, but they could potentially trade Young, Pachulia, and/or their 2018 first round draft pick for a center on an expiring contract if they desired. Ed Davis or Brandan Wright, for example, would be strong fits on the team.
Instead of trading for a center, the Warriors could wait for a team to buy out one of their centers, and sign them for the minimum. Nerlens Noel, Robin Lopez, and Tyson Chandler would be good options, but they look likely to stay with their teams for now.
The Warriors probably won’t make a move, as continuity is so important for their championship runs. But there are a few things they can do, and Bob Myers should look into all of them.