After telling reporters earlier this week that he doesn’t want the Warriors to make a “desperate” trade that compromises the team’s long-term future for short-term gain, Stephen Curry clarified on Wednesday that his comments don’t mean he’s content playing on a .500 team that’s not trying to improve.
“Anyone who thinks I’m OK being on an average basketball team is insane,” Curry said, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. “Take whatever I said, I still stand on it. But that doesn’t mean we’re not in a situation where we are trying to get better, make appropriate moves that help you do that. (General manager) Mike (Dunleavy Jr.) knows that. We’ve talked about it. That’s the expectation from me. It doesn’t mean you’re reckless.”
As Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reports, Dunleavy and the Warriors are indeed exploring their options on the trade market, with a focus on upgrades in the frontcourt rather than on the wing. Golden State has looked into centers like Nikola Vucevic, John Collins, Jonas Valanciunas, and Robert Williams, according to Scotto, who says the odds of the team making a trade for a forward like Jimmy Butler or Cameron Johnson have decreased.
While the Warriors want to give Curry and Draymond Green a chance to compete for another title, they won’t mortgage their future to make it happen, Scotto writes, adding that the front office still remains reluctant to part with forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Following up on the trade market for centers, Scotto says some NBA executives believe the Bulls could land a first-round pick in a deal for Vucevic, who is having a strong season in Chicago. The Wizards and Trail Blazers are expected to command second-rounders for Valanciunas and Williams, respectively, while Collins’ value is hard to pin down, Scotto notes, given the $26.6MM player option the Jazz big man holds for 2025/26.
- Rival executives who spoke to Scotto are monitoring Bucks wing Pat Connaughton as a trade candidate, since Milwaukee could duck below the second tax apron and create more roster flexibility by moving off of his $9.4MM salary. Connaughton is having a down year and holds a $9.4MM player option for ’25/26, so the Bucks would have to attach draft picks and/or cash to move off of him. While the Bucks can’t trade cash as long as they remain above the second apron, they could do so in a trade that moves them below that threshold.
- After trading for Nick Richards, the Suns are expected to continue gauging Jusuf Nurkic‘s trade market and trying to figure out a Butler deal as they seek out win-now upgrades, Scotto writes. Scotto points out that role players Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen would both have positive value as trade chips, but there has been no indication that Phoenix would have interest in moving either player.
Some sport writers are just not happy that Curry said don’t make big gamble trades that will hurt the teams future. Those 1st rounders will be valuable in the future. Guess it hurts their click bait articles like Butler or Giannis to the warriors.
The Warriors got super lucky they got a low maintenance star in Curry compared to other big time stars.
Only thing that we don’t know about the rest of the Warriors season is whether or not they’ll make the play in.
True Clay. The way they’re playing right now It looks like they won’t. This trading deadline February 6 will be very interesting not only for the Warriors, but for a bunch of teams.
I’ve got my fingers crossed things work out for the Warriors. But wow, what a tumultuous season so far.
“The way they’re playing right now It looks like they won’t.”
Draymond, Steph and Kuminga have barely played together this year, but when they have, they cooked. Get them healthy, GSW will be easily top 8 – all they need are 2 more bigs, MDJ getting any 2 of the 4 mentioned in this article will turn this season around and send GSW back into the top 4 where Curry belongs.
I think if they can land any decent stretch big, it’ll do wonders for the team.
2024-25 FIRST HALF IN REVIEW: REASONS FOR HOPE
THE BAD:
1. the 5 new players not helped: Schroeder, Hield, Anderson, Melton (injury-prone), & Waters
2. the 12-13 man rotation failed
3. Moody and Podz have underperformed
THE GOOD:
1. Wiggins having his best NBA season — great defensively, 20.6 ppg in 29 mpg, 39% from 3
2. Kuminga is emerging, 23 pts per 36 mins, has gained Kerr’s trust with improved decisions and playmaking
3. TJD is maturing. At worst, a solid rotation player. At best, an average NBA center
4.,5. Steph and Draymond are as expected.
This happens to be the starting 5 that Kerr announced at end of pre-season, two days before announcing the 12-13 man rotation.
ANALYTICS
Models show that more than any other NBA coach in the first half, Kerr played his worst players at the expense of better available players (likely a consequence of a 12-13 man rotation.) Models indicate that, on its own, this caused 3-7 unnecessary losses.
Kerr had this same problem in the 1st half of last season, but he corrected at the 1/2 way point, and GSW had the 2nd best record in the league in the second half (after BOS). Still, the correction was too late, and we missed the playoffs.
Analytics indicate these corrections for our 2nd half:
1. Increase Wiggins’ minutes from 29 to 34-36
2. Increase Kuminga’s minutes from 26 to 34-36
3. Reduce Waters’ and Moody’s minutes
GSW has the 2nd easiest 2nd half schedule (after OKC). If Kerr plays the right guys, Steph and Dray play 80% of the games, and Kuminga is back by Feb 5, we project to win 45-46 games.
Come on, None of these guys is worth 1 First and expiring contracts.
Nikola Vucevic, John Collins, Jonas Valanciunas, and Robert Williams
Yes, 1 First and bad contracts
Curry small regression (still pretty damn good) with all the non scorers in the rotation make it tough some nights for them. Melton injury hurt a lot. They pivoted well to Schroeder. Probably were counting on more from podziemski. If they did a trade i would hope for some sort of consolidation to make the rotation a little smaller and have more of an idea who to play from game to game. I get holding onto the youth unless they can get someone who really moves the needle. Them making the playoffs probably depends on if Phoenix gets better or if the spurs decide to make a trade for players. I live in California and get all the warriors games so I hope it works out for them.
Curry hasn’t regressed at all, his crappy Decembers are annual. Check his numbers in March, you’ll see.
Warriors should take on Zach LaVine if the price is right. Warriors need second scorer.
Price is right = No draft picks are needed
Wiggins, Anderson and Payton for LaVine and tiny fillers
Zach LaVine remaining contract: 3 years $137 million
While I agree that the Dubs need a second scorer. The Bulls would hang up the phone call with this offer. Heck the Warriors would only entertain this call if the Bulls were the ones offering a 1st rounder due to the amount of Lavines contract
If anyone watched last nights game, they saw in real time how bigs stay big as the game goes on. Wolves shot horribly in the 1Q, then beat GSW every quarter by more and more until the game ended with them 1 point short. Another game GSW failed at blowing out when they had multiple chances too and couldn’t and almost lost them the game. It’s absurd at this point how Kerr refuses to play both TJD and Looney at the same time, especially at the end. If I ran the Warriors I would build the roster with less guards and tell Kerr to unleash some Twin Towers action, you know, like what Kenny is doing in Cleveland right now???
If GSW can acquire two of Vucevic, Collins, Valanciunas or Williams, they become a serious contender again. Remember, regardless of how badly they’re playing right now (without half their team) its still a .500 team, which is a fine baseline to improve on. Problem is, Warriors front office and HC are balking at improving it because they believe Brandin Podziemski is the next Lebron James, when he’s likely the next GP2 or Pat Beverly. Podz is a project player who might be a decent bench/rotation PG piece in 2-5 years, but the ceiling is so low, his game IQ is maybe the worst in the league. No offensive or defensive profile to speak of and he’s not working on it, he’s learning nothing out there and even worse, his shots aren’t falling.
I love Moody but he’s in the same boat – like Podz, he’s very young still, but unlike Podz, Moody’s poison pill contract means he will be on the team past the deadline, then immediately shopped the second his extension kicks in. Then they could feasibly trade Moody for an expiring guy like Fox, Sabonis or Hartenstein 1-1 straight up (although realistically they’d need to add picks/more assets), or used as big money in a package for another superstar-level guy. I think that’s the overall plan here: wait now, and save up for Giannis or KD. Problem is, they can do both, as getting 2 of those 4 only costs draft picks and like, Lindy Waters. The fact we’re 2 weeks out from the deadline and GSW still isn’t pressuring the Bulls on Vooch yet is making me sick to my stomach…how many more losses do they need to prove it to them that they need bigs to win??
Jackson Davis and Looney together Lmfao. Goodbye offense
The only way twin towers works today is if one of them can shoot the three.
And in the modern game, your five can shoot the three also. But if you’re going to play a dinosaur, then the other tower has to be mobile, have a dribble game, and be a great shooter.
You see it with Evan Mobley you see it the other night with Chris Boucher, and you see it with Chet.
Curry’s statements are unassailable, but mostly pointless. Nobody, on or involved with any team, is in favor of reckless trades, as such (except maybe PHX). Whereas, almost every team (that isn’t tanking) is looking to make trades to improve from their current positioning. That’s FO business as usual. The odds of business as usual producing another true contender in Curry’s window are slim, at best.
@DXC “The odds of business as usual producing another true contender in Curry’s window are slim, at best.”
So you think Kuminga is closer to a bench piece/flop than a star? Many do not agree.
All it takes is one breakout (and there’s like 6 guys who feasibly could) and the picture becomes clearer about how to build this team and as we saw in 2022, they went from worst in the league in 2020 to a title in 2022. Honestly getting Vooch would probably be the bare minimum that could put GSW back into the top 6. Adding 2 bigs would really change things up in an even better way. If we all scream at Kerr to ditch small ball and build Twin Towers rotations like Kenny is doing, then they might surge back into ring contention again.
Davey~ What if they added 3 Bigs?
Would global warming disappear ?
Davey, you might want to delete that message in response to DXC.
When you’re wrong, he will hand it to you in a large way and it’s not fun.
He’s polite, but you walk away with your tail between your legs. Don’t risk it Davey, delete your message while you still can. You still have 3 minutes lol
“Except for Phoenix” lol. Yup exactly.
But yes, this is what I’m afraid of. We’ve reached the end of the line and it’s time to rebuild.
Everyone not named Curry goes. Including Green at the deadline while he’s still considered premier in defense and grit with toughness.
Kuminga goes Jackson Davis goes. Schrader goes. Wiggins goes.., the whole lot of them. Might even get some good stuff back for Looney and defensive minded Gary Payton?