Preview: Warriors take on LeBron’s Lakers in Chase Center without Curry

The trade deadline was huge in the NBA this season, as big time moves made seismic shifts across the league. This was particularly true in the Pacific Division, where underachieving teams with lots of star power are looking for an injection of energy heading into the All-Star break.

That includes the two teams squaring off tonight in Chase Center, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers

February 11th, 2023 | 5:30 PM PT

Watch: ABC | Listen: 95.7 The Game

The Lakers boast the most prolific scorer in NBA history in LeBron James, an All-NBA talent in Anthony Davis, and yet injuries and lack of consistency have doomed this once proud franchise to a 25-31 record this year. That’s probably why they pulled the trigger on banishing Russell Westbrook to Utah in big-time traded headlined by the return of D’Angelo Russell to the purple and gold.

Oh yeah and the Lakers traded Patrick Beverly for Mo Bamba.

That’s a lot going on! Talk about tinkering with the roster to give James and Davis a chance to compete for their second title as teammates in L.A.

Meanwhile the reigning, defending champion Warriors got a little frisky at the deadline themselves. They swapped embattled former #2 overall pick James Wiseman for the returning fan-favorite Gary Payton II...

....OR DID THEY?

All that said, this should be a heckuva game tonight despite the absence of greatest player alive Stephen Curry.