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Warriors May Wait Until Summer To Pursue Major Trade

January 20th, 2025 at 11:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors may be active on the trade market before the deadline, but they’re not expected to pursue a major deal until the offseason, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Two Western Conference executives who talked to Youngmisuk believe Golden State will save its most valuable trade pieces for the summer in hopes of a making significant move.

For now, a more likely target is Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who would provide a second reliable scorer to team with Stephen Curry. Vucevic is making $20MM, and the Warriors hope they might be able to land him in exchange for expiring deals. Both rival executives expect the team to continue exploring its options until closer to February 6, rather than making a deal right away.

Youngmusik points out that Golden State’s top trade pieces are Andrew Wiggins‘ $26MM contract, along with young players Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski. More likely to be moved now are the expiring contracts of Gary Payton II ($9.13MM) and Kevon Looney ($8MM), along with draft assets (the Warriors have three tradable first-round picks and two second-rounders.

Youngmisuk reveals that CEO Joe Lacob met with general manager Mike Dunleavy to discuss the team’s options after a January 7 loss to Miami. One rival executive described the team as “frustrated” as it has fallen down the standings after a 12-3 start.

The executives also told Youngmisuk that if the Warriors aren’t in a better position by the trade deadline, they might consider some cost-cutting deals to reduce the size of their tax bill. Youngmisuk adds that Golden State typically isn’t active around the deadline, with only two significant trades during the Curry era.

Curry, who has been playing through thumb and knee pain this season, said he can accept a quiet deadline as long as he knows the front office is making an effort to improve the roster.

“[We’re] trying to be a realistic threat in a playoffs series,” he said. “If Mike calls and says, ‘Hey, this is an opportunity to do X, Y, Z,’ I give my opinion. My hope is that [if there’s no action at the deadline], it’s not because of a lack of effort. If we don’t have a chance to get better, my whole thing is I want to win, and whatever that means, all efforts are pointed towards that, then I can kind of live with whatever happens.”

The Warriors tried to get involved in major deals last summer, making offers for Lauri Markkanen before he re-signed with Utah and Paul George before he opted out of his contract with the Clippers. In both cases, it would have meant parting with Kuminga and maybe Podziemski, which Golden State wasn’t ready to do.

They were one of the first teams to make a significant in-season deal, picking up Dennis Schröder from Brooklyn in mid-December, but the veteran guard has struggled badly with his shot and hasn’t been able to stop the team’s long decline. It’s possible that Schröder could be moved again before the deadline.

Curry, Draymond Green and coach Steve Kerr have all made recent public statements cautioning against the dangers of a panic move. They seem content to wait until summer for a roster overhaul if necessary, and in the meantime they’re confident about their postseason chances no matter who they have to face.

“Hundred percent feel like we can beat anybody in a playoff series because we’ve done it,” Curry said. “We have the know-how, and we just want to be able to answer that question with how we’re playing and not imagine. … We’ve been there. We know how to do it. Just feel like we can do it again.”

Warriors Notes: Curry, Kerr, Vucevic, Wiggins

January 14th, 2025 at 11:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Warriors’ long downturn continued with Monday’s surprising loss at Toronto, but Stephen Curry doesn’t want management to overreact with a trade that’s not in the team’s best long-term interest, writes Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. After starting the season 12-3, Golden State is now 12th in the West at 19-20 and appears headed for a frantic battle for one of the four play-in spots.

However, Youngmisuk notes that Curry is sticking with a philosophy that the organization has been emphasizing since training camp, which is there will be no panic involved in trade decisions, especially if it means giving up young players and future draft assets.

“Desperate trades or desperate moves that deplete the future, there is a responsibility on allowing or keeping the franchise in a good space and good spot when it comes to where we leave this thing when we’re done,” Curry said. “Doesn’t mean that you’re not trying to get better. It doesn’t mean that you’re not active in any type of search to, if you have an opportunity where a trade makes sense or even in the summer free agency [move] makes sense. You want to continue to get better. Nobody wants to be stale or be in a situation where you’re passing up opportunities. But it doesn’t mean that you’re desperate just flinging assets all around the place just because you want to do something.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Coach Steve Kerr made a similar statement at Monday’s shootaround, saying it would be unwise to mortgage the future to give himself, Curry and Draymond Green a shot at another NBA title, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kerr recognizes the need to have young talent such as Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and Brandin Podziemski on hand once he and his veteran stars are gone. “That’s the hard part in addressing all this stuff,” Kerr said. “We’re not giving in. But you have to be realistic organizationally about where you are. And you have to mind what’s coming ahead in the future. I probably won’t be around, but I would tell you, if this organization gave away the next six or seven drafts for a wild swing, that would be the most irresponsible thing that they could do.”
The front office has engaged in internal discussions about finding a center who can consistently make three-pointers to create more space for Curry and provide better lineup combinations for Green and Kuminga, Slater adds in the same piece. He mentions Nikola Vucevic as a possibility, depending on the price the Bulls would want in return.
Remarkably, Monday marked the first game that Andrew Wiggins has played in his hometown of Toronto in seven years, according to Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Wiggins rejoined the team on Saturday after missing two games for personal reasons.

Pacific Notes: Fox, Kings, Warriors, O’Neale

January 12th, 2025 at 2:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is available to play on Sunday against Chicago, tweets Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee.

Fox, who last suited up on January 3, rejoins a red-hot Sacramento squad that has won six straight games in total, including the past three without him. James Ham of The Kings Beat considers whether the team’s recent run of success is sustainable.

Here’s more from around the Pacific Division:

The Kings are spending far less time scrimmaging so far under new head coach Doug Christie, which has been well received by the players, Biderman writes for the Sacramento Bee. “Talking to some of the guys who play heavier minutes, they definitely feel more fresh to start games,” Kings sharpshooter Kevin Huerter said. “I think even mentally, just the grind of the season, we’re already in January, and you get to this point in the season, you play a lot of games. As much as it’s a physical grind, it’s a mental grind. Being halfway there and needing every win, in some ways we pump the brakes a little bit, but still trusting us to get our work in.”
After missing games on Thursday and Friday for personal reasons, Andrew Wiggins will be back in action for the Warriors on Monday in Toronto, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters today (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). Stephen Curry and Draymond Green practiced on Sunday and are also set to return on Monday after sitting out Friday, while Gary Payton II (calf strain) is listed as questionable to play for the first time since Christmas Day. Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury) will remain out, Kerr said.
Suns forward Royce O’Neale (left ankle sprain) appears on track to return from a six-game absence on Sunday vs. Charlotte. He has been upgraded to probable, tweets Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.

Pacific Notes: Durant, Kawhi, Kings, Warriors Injuries

January 10th, 2025 at 10:18pm CST by Luke Adams

Speaking on Friday to reporters, including Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, Suns star Kevin Durant was asked about the team’s roster-building philosophy under new team owner Mat Ishbia. A series of aggressive roster moves since Ishbia’s arrival, starting with the acquisition of Durant in 2023, has left Phoenix with few draft assets and a limited ability to seek out additional upgrades, but the veteran forward lauded the team’s owner for his aggressiveness and willingness to spend big.

“I appreciate people that want to put in the work to try to get on that road to a championship level,” Durant said. “It’s hard. As we’ve seen, it’s tough, but just putting yourself in a position to try to do something. A lot people don’t even try to do stuff out here to be great. So I can appreciate somebody like Mat and the rest of the staff and the whole organization trying to put the players in successful positions to see what it’s like to go on the road to win a championship. Not a lot of franchises do that for their players.”

Durant also addressed teammate Bradley Beal‘s recent move to the bench, as Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports relays (Twitter video link). Durant noted that Beal’s playing time as a sixth man (31.3 MPG) is similar to what he was seeing as a starter (33.4 MPG) and suggested that the new role should give him more scoring opportunities.

“I feel like he’s just comfortable and understanding where his shot’s gonna come from,” Durant said of Beal, who has a pair of 25-point outings in his first three games as a reserve.

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard has rejoined the team after taking a brief leave of absence to be with family affected by the Los Angeles wildfires, tweets Law Murray of The Athletic. Leonard would have been available to play on Saturday vs. Charlotte, per Murray, but that game has been postponed, so the Clippers won’t be back in action until at least Monday.
In a pair of stories for The Sacramento Bee, Jason Anderson explores why the Kings‘ fortunes have changed as of late under new head coach Doug Christie and Chris Biderman recaps the team’s latest impressive victory, a convincing road win over the defending champion Celtics that included a franchise-record 28 rebounds from center Domantas Sabonis. Sacramento is now back to .500 after falling to 13-19 on December 28, a day after Mike Brown‘s dismissal.
Warriors guard Gary Payton II (calf strain) has a chance to play on Monday for the first time since Christmas Day, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters after Friday’s loss to Indiana (Twitter link via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN). However, Kerr isn’t sure whether Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal injury management) or Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons) will be available for that game in Toronto.
As for Stephen Curry (bilateral knee injury management) and Draymond Green (back soreness), it sounds like the two veteran Warriors will be able to return on Monday, but Kerr cautioned that the team will continue to manage both players’ health, adding that Curry has had some fluid build-up in the knee (Twitter link via Youngmisuk).

Injury Notes: Vanderbilt, Warriors, Agbaji, Richardson

January 10th, 2025 at 3:01pm CST by Rory Maher

Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt hasn’t played an NBA game in more than 11 months, with his last appearance coming in Boston on February 1, 2024. However, he continues to inch closer to making his season debut, having been assigned to the South Bay Lakers for a practice this morning and subsequently being recalled to practice with the NBA club (Twitter links via Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Vanderbilt, who made just 29 appearances in 2023/24 due to a heel injury, underwent surgeries on both of his feet during the offseason, then experienced a setback (fluid build-up in his left knee) in early December. He’s expected to suit up at some point in January, though he’ll be on a minutes restriction when he’s available.

Here are a few more injury notes from around the NBA:

The Warriors will be shorthanded again on Friday at Indiana. Stephen Curry (knee management) and Draymond Green (back) have both been ruled out for the second end of a back-to-back, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Andrew Wiggins (personal reasons), Jonathan Kuminga (ankle sprain), Brandin Podziemski (right abdominal) and Gary Payton II (left calf strain) will also be sidelined. On a brighter note, fourth-year wing Moses Moody is probable Friday after missing Thursday’s game due to patellar tendinopathy in his left knee, per the league’s official injury report. Center Trayce Jackson-Davis is questionable due to a left eye contusion.
Raptors wing Ochai Agbaji missed his first game of the season on Thursday in Cleveland due to a left hip pointer. He’s also doubtful to suit up for Saturday’s matchup in Detroit, per Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link). A former lottery pick, Agbaji will be eligible for a rookie scale extension in the offseason.
Heat guard/forward Josh Richardson was technically active for Thursday’s win in Utah, according to Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link), though the impending free agent didn’t receive any playing time. Richardson has been plagued by a heel injury for much of the 2024/25 season, only making eight appearances to this point and last playing on November 18.

Warriors Notes: Santos, Curry, Kuminga, Wiggins

January 10th, 2025 at 8:40am CST by Rory Maher

Second-year forward Gui Santos hasn’t played much this season for the Warriors, averaging just 5.2 minutes per game across 12 garbage time appearances entering Thursday’s matchup vs. Detroit. But with several of his teammates injured, he received real rotation minutes for the first time in 2024/25 and took full advantage of the opportunity, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic.

The former second-round pick tied his career-high with 13 points, converting four of his six looks from three-point range. He also contributed five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in a career-high 26 minutes.

As Slater details, while Santos’ stat line was solid, it was all the little things he did to help his team that really stood out. Stephen Curry went just 5-of-21 from the field, but Golden State pulled out a three-point victory over the red-hot Pistons, who had won eight of their last nine games entering Thursday.

“This game is about so much more than whether you make a shot or miss a shot,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “It’s defense, it’s rebounding, it’s hustle, sprinting. Everything you saw Gui do tonight, that’s what wins games.”

According to Slater, Santos will likely play again in Friday’s back-to-back at Indiana.

“We talked before the game about, ‘How many battles can you win?’” Kerr said. “Little battles in the game. He won a million battles tonight. That’s what wins games. He’s been waiting all year, and he finally got his chance, and he delivered.”

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Curry sprained his right thumb four games ago and was visibly bothered by the injury at times on Thursday, per Slater (Twitter video link). Curry has been wearing a wrap on the thumb, which he said was “whacked” again vs. Detroit. The two-time MVP has been resting on one end of back-to-backs, and he wasn’t sure if he’d suit up against Indiana on Friday. “I’m doing everything in my power to play back-to-backs eventually,” Curry said (Twitter link via Slater). “Whether that’s tomorrow or the next one, I don’t know.”
Although Jonathan Kuminga is no longer on crutches, he’s still wearing a walking boot in the early stages of his recovery from a significant right ankle sprain, Slater adds in his story for The Athletic. The fourth-year forward is set to be reevaluated on January 26.
Andrew Wiggins missed Thursday’s game due to personal reasons, but he isn’t expected to be away from the team for very long, according to Slater. The former No. 1 overall pick is averaging 16.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG on .454/.394/.794 shooting in 32 games this season (29.0 MPG).

Warriors Unlikely To Pursue Jimmy Butler Before Deadline

January 4th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Warriors would love to find a second star to pair with Stephen Curry, that player is unlikely to be Jimmy Butler, team and league sources tell Anthony Slater, Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

The Warriors were previously identified as a team high on Butler’s list of preferred destinations, though ESPN recently reported that the 35-year-old is open to joining any team after requesting a trade from the Heat. Miami subsequently suspended Butler for seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Miami prefers to trade Butler “as soon as possible,” and his time with the Heat has almost certainly come to an end.

However, Golden State is not currently viewed as a viable landing spot for the five-time All-Defensive forward, and there have been “no substantive talks or traction” on a possible trade between the Warriors and Heat, a source close to Butler tells The Athletic.

As The Athletic’s authors explain, there are several complicating factors in a potential deal. For starters, Butler’s rift with the Heat centered on his desire to receive a maximum-salary extension, which Miami showed no interest in offering. A Butler extension is also unappealing to the Warriors, according to The Athletic.

Butler’s age, injury history, and another messy impending divorce with his current club are more reasons a trade is unlikely. But his contract makes a deal an “untenable option,” per The Athletic’s trio.

To match Butler’s incoming $48.8MM cap hit, Golden State would have to combine multiple salaries, starting with either Draymond Green ($24.1MM) or Andrew Wiggins ($26.3MM), with the latter considered more likely. However, Wiggins has had a bounce-back season and is popular within the organization. The Warriors prefer to keep him alongside Curry and Green.

Jonathan Kuminga has been floated as a possible candidate to be moved alongside Wiggins for Butler. While the impending restricted free agent isn’t untouchable in trade talks ahead of the February 6 deadline, the Warriors aren’t interested in moving their two best wings for Butler, according to The Athletic.

Here are a few more Warriors rumors from Slater, Thompson and Amick:

A deal for a maximum-salary player like Butler seems unlikely, but the Warriors have expressed interest in players on mid-sized contracts. They already pulled off a trade for such a player in Dennis Schröder, whose $13MM expiring contract could be aggregated in another deal starting on Feb. 5.
Cameron Johnson would seem to be a good fit for Golden State, but the Nets have a high asking price for the sharpshooting forward. The Kings and Thunder are believed to be showing more interest in Johnson than the Warriors at the moment, per The Athletic.
Team and league sources tell The Athletic that Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is viewed as an attractive trade option due to his ability to space the floor and the fact that he likely won’t cost as much to acquire. As the authors note, Golden State has multiple ways to match Vucevic’s $20MM cap hit without exceeding the first tax apron, which is the team’s hard cap. One example provided is Gary Payton II, Kyle Anderson, Lindy Waters and unknown draft capital.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

January 3rd, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Both sides are angry in the Jimmy Butler standoff, but that doesn’t guarantee that he’ll be traded by the February 6 deadline, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

Butler’s comments after Thursday’s game about hoping to “get my joy back from playing basketball” came after a conversation earlier in the day between his representatives and Heat officials, sources tell the authors. Butler was upset because he and his agent believed the team was implying he didn’t play hard in Wednesday’s game against New Orleans, which he finished with nine points and four rebounds in 25 minutes as he returned to the lineup after missing five games with an illness.

Team representatives contend Thursday’s meeting was a “macro level discussion” that addressed concerns over Butler’s behavior as trade rumors have intensified over the last few weeks.

Butler and his agent are claiming that the team threatened to suspend him after the Pelicans game, Jackson tweets, but Heat officials deny that ever happened.

With Butler’s future in Miami almost guaranteed to end following this season, if not earlier, Jackson and Chiang see three potential resolutions. The most immediate is a trade before next month’s deadline, but the authors point out problems with each of Butler’s preferred destinations.

If he’s sent to the Warriors, Miami would almost certainly have to take back Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, paying him $28.2MM and $30.2MM over the next two years. Jackson and Chiang note that the Heat’s projected tax bill of more than $15MM comes in part from giving large salaries to Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier. Another big contract for a non-All Star would worsen the team’s financial position, with Bam Adebayo on a max deal and Tyler Herro averaging $30MM per season.

The same issue exists with the Suns, as the authors state that Miami has “no interest” in taking on Bradley Beal, who is still owed $160MM. However, they believe the equation could change if Kevin Durant decides to ask out of Phoenix amid a disappointing start to the season.

Butler has also reportedly expressed a desire to join the Rockets or Mavericks, but Jackson and Chiang note that Houston has denied interest in taking on older players, while Dallas doesn’t have enough trade assets to interest Miami.

The Nuggets could emerge as another possibility by offering Michael Porter Jr., the authors state. However, they caution that he has also never been an All-Star and is owed $38.3MM and $40.8MM over the next two seasons. A third team would be necessary to complete most of these deals, but Detroit at $14MM is currently the only option with cap space.

Butler could also be traded this summer, either by picking up his $52.4MM player option or declining it and working with the team on a sign-and-trade. The issue there would be that most teams aren’t in position to absorb Butler’s salary outright and would have to send out contracts in order to accommodate him.

If Miami isn’t interested in what Butler’s suitors have to offer, a third or fourth team might be necessary to take on that unwanted salary. Jackson and Chiang project that up to 11 teams are in position to create cap room during the offseason to help facilitate a trade.

If Miami could trade Butler without taking back salary in return, it would leave the team with a trade exception equal to whatever Butler will be making in the first season of his new contract, along with a non-taxpayer mid-level exception worth $14.1MM and the $5.1MM bi-annual exception. They would have 10 players under contract — possibly 11 if Keshad Johnson exercises his $1.9MM player option — at a total cost of about $141MM, roughly $13.6MM below the projected salary cap.

The final option is for Butler to sign elsewhere in free agency, but the authors consider that less likely because only Brooklyn currently projects to have enough cap room to offer a deal in his desired salary range without the Heat’s help.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, Lakers, Beal

December 31st, 2024 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors coach Steve Kerr seems ready to abandon the 11- and 12-man rotations he was using early in the season, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle. Although Golden State had success with that approach while Kerr experimented to see how his new players fit together, he wants a consistent group on the court as the schedule becomes more challenging.

“Given the stretch we’re in … we’ve got to settle in these next couple weeks,” he said before Monday’s game. “Stick with the same lineup. Same rotation off the bench if possible and see if we can find some rhythm.”

He unveiled the new approach on Saturday, using Dennis Schröder, Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and Draymond Green as his closing lineup and giving them all at least 34 minutes. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Buddy Hield, Lindy Waters III and Brandin Podziemski made up the rest of the rotation. Jackson-Davis got the start at center and was used for some defensive possessions late in the game.

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

The Warriors need to lean heavily on Kuminga and the rest of the young core to be a legitimate contender in the Western Conference, contends Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. That’s especially true of Kuminga, who has the best chance of any of Golden State’s young players to become a star. Kroichick notes that Kuminga has displayed more assertiveness recently, compiling 40 free throws and 29 rebounds over his last three games. “This is a young man’s game, we know that,” Kerr said. “It’s a sport that requires so much endurance, physical conditioning and ability to bounce back from aches and pains, and it just gets harder and harder for the older guys. If you don’t have a young core, you’re in some trouble. I probably feel better about our young group now than I ever have.”
The Lakers suddenly have much more frontcourt depth as Dorian Finney-Smith arrived in a trade with Brooklyn and Jaxson Hayes was cleared to return from an ankle injury, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Coach J.J. Redick frequently relied on small-ball lineups, as the team has been without a legitimate backup center since Hayes got hurt. “Night to night, it will be different,” Redick told reporters before tonight’s game. “Jaxson is our backup five. But there may be times that we play small. It’s just the reality. (Finney-Smith) has shown he can guard up. Rui (Hachimura) has really improved from where we were three months ago, playing him at the five in our first preseason game to where he is now. … And we know Doe (Finney-Smith) can obviously play at the five as well. So excited to have options for sure.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had to leave tonight’s game after suffering a hip contusion in the first quarter, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. The team announced that he wouldn’t return, but no other details were provided.

Warriors Notes: Curry, Slump, Payton, Kerr, Wiggins

December 26th, 2024 at 7:55am CST by Luke Adams

The Warriors had a player-led meeting prior to their Christmas Day game with the Lakers, according to Trayce Jackson-Davis, who said that Stephen Curry was especially vocal during that meeting, per Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Curry’s message was that the Warriors’ season – which opened with 12 wins in 15 games, then saw the team drop 10 of next 13 heading into Wednesday – “can go one way or the other,” Jackson-Davis relayed.

“It’s been tough trying to find any type of momentum or consistency,” Curry explained. “You just can’t lose spirit, belief that we’re a good enough team to figure it out. Because this league is ruthless … You dig yourself a hole, like, it can be hard to pull out of. Right now we’re right in that window where we can still gain some momentum. The next however many weeks before the (All-Star) break are pivotal. Or else we’re in a situation where we’re chasing down the stretch, and nobody wants to be there.”

While Curry backed up his message with a season-high 38 points on 14-of-24 shooting, it wasn’t enough to get Golden State by Los Angeles. The Warriors tied the game in the final seconds on a Curry three-pointer, but surrendered a game-winning Austin Reaves layup on the next possession. The club is now 15-14 and just a half-game ahead of the No. 11 Spurs.

“We’re down,” head coach Steve Kerr said of his team’s morale, according to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. “Everybody’s disappointed. We’ve lost some confidence. You can feel it. We had a great vibe early in the season, and we’re going through it right now. But I love our guys, high-character guys. They care. They care about each other. I believe in them. I believe we’re going to get this thing turned around, so this is all part of the season, part of life.”

We have more on the Warriors:

Golden State is back in action on Friday vs. the Clippers and Saturday vs. Phoenix. Curry – who has battled bilateral knee tendinitis – may sit one of the two games in that back-to-back set after playing a “hard” 36 minutes on Wednesday, Kerr told reporters after the loss. “When the knee popped up, (selective rest) was part of the conversation,” Curry said. “Still dealing with it to some (degree).” According to Slater, if Curry does miss one of this weekend’s games, it will likely be Friday’s contest in L.A.
Warriors guard Gary Payton II exited Wednesday’s game in the third quarter with a left calf issue and headed to the locker room for the remainder of the contest. The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but Payton limped out of the arena at the end of the night, Slater reports.
Kerr took his share of the blame for the Warriors’ struggles in recent weeks, noting that his unpredictable lineups and rotations haven’t made things any easier on his players, as Slater relays. “I’ve had a million different starting lineups. Guys are in and out of rotations. I’m well aware of that, and it’s hard as a player to not know how many minutes you’re going to get, what minutes you’re going to get,” Kerr said. “The reality is we’re searching. We’ve lost 11 of 14 games. I don’t feel like this is a roster where you say, ‘Here are our top eight guys, top nine guys.’ Our roster is really deep. We have a lot of guys who can play. Every game calls for something different. That’s the issue.”
In a feature story for The Athletic, Marcus Thompson II and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic take an in-depth look at how Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is attempting to rediscover his joy after dealing in recent years with his father’s deteriorating health and eventual passing.