Golden State Warriors Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Pacific Notes: Green, Brown, Clippers, Reddish

January 15th, 2024 at 9:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green will return to the court today after missing 16 games during his suspension and reconditioning process, but it might take some time before the Warriors look like a cohesive unit, writes Kendra Andrews of ESPN. Golden State had the second worst defense in the league during Green’s absence, according to Andrews, giving up 123.8 points per 100 possessions. The Warriors have allowed opponents to score at least 70 points in the first half in four of their last six games.

“Nothing ever just flips,” Green said. “I don’t look at myself as some savior, like this is going to save our defense or anything like that. I think I can help with communication. And like with everything else, it’s contagious.”

Green stayed away from the Warriors while he underwent counseling and didn’t rejoin the team until his suspension was lifted on January 6. He believes the break from basketball helped with his mental health, and coach Steve Kerr indicated that it could be beneficial for everyone.

“He’s still obviously a huge part of this thing and a huge part of our leadership,” Kerr said. “But he needs the awareness that comes with what he’s just gone through and what he has put the team through as well.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

Mike Brown is the latest coach to vent about officiating, but he found a creative way to do it after the Kings‘ overtime loss Sunday at Milwaukee, per Rich Rovito of The Associated Press. Brown brought the team’s video coordinator and a laptop to his post-game press conference to show reporters the calls that led to his ejection. “The referees are human, and they’re going to make mistakes, but you just hope that there’s some sort of consistency and there’s some sort of communication between the refs,” Brown said. “The refs tonight, they were great, they communicated with me all night. But in terms of consistency, you guys saw it right here. In my opinion, the consistency wasn’t here tonight.”
Seerat Sohi of The Ringer looks at how the Clippers were able to get all their stars on the same page after a rough start to the James Harden era. Coach Tyronn Lue believes they were too deferential to one another following the trade that brought Harden to L.A. “I think not wanting to step on each other’s toes. I think having respect, all four guys having a huge respect for each other,” Lue said. “Sometimes that can be a negative because now they don’t want to do what they’re capable of doing.”
Cam Reddish could miss multiple games after leaving each of the Lakers‘ last two contests with knee soreness, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Stein’s Latest: Hield, Wiggins, Finney-Smith, O’Neale, Fultz, McDermott, Osman

January 14th, 2024 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pistons and Wizards pulled off a trade involving four players and two draft picks on Sunday. Expect a lot more activity in the coming weeks, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.

Stein offers a number of interesting tidbits from around the league:

Buddy Hield‘s name was prominently mentioned around the trade market after the veteran guard and the Pacers failed to reach an extension agreement during training camp. Sources tell Stein that Indiana continues to look for ways to move Hield. The Pacers are trying to package his expiring $18.6MM contract and a future first-rounder to get an impact player. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam continues to be talked about as a potential Pacers target. However, Indiana would be reluctant to give up second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin or rookie Jarace Walker in any trade.
Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins is looked upon as another potential Pacers target but it may be difficult for Golden State to create a market for him, Stein writes. Wiggins not only has three more years left on his contract, his production has nosedived.
Dorian Finney-Smith and Royce O’Neale could be on the move. The Nets are listening to offers for both of those forwards and Stein suggests the Cavaliers should pursue O’Neale, considering they need a wing and he’s close friends with Donovan Mitchell. O’Neale has an expiring contract, while Finney-Smith is signed through 2025/26.
Speaking of expiring contracts, the Magic are “exploring the trade market” the top pick of the 2017 draft. They’ve made guard Markelle Fultz and his $17MM expiring deal available, along with center Wendell Carter Jr, per Stein.
Another team dangling expiring contracts is the Spurs. Forwards Doug McDermott and Cedi Osman are available for teams looking to clear cap room this summer or upgrade their second unit, according to Stein.

Draymond Green Set To Return For Warriors On Monday

January 14th, 2024 at 3:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Warriors forward Draymond Green will return to action in a Monday clash with the Grizzlies, sources inform Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

This will mark the four-time All-Star’s first appearance in the last 16 contests, as he was suspended indefinitely last month after violently striking Suns center Jusuf Nurkic in the face last month, unprovoked. He was instantly ejected upon being assessed a flagrant 2 foul for the offense.

Golden State has gone 8-8 since Green began serving his suspension.

Across his 15 available contests with the club, Green has averaged 9.7 PPG on a respectable .490/.429/.833 shooting line, along with 5.8 APG, 5.5 RPG, and 0.7 BPG.

This latest altercation with Nurkic marked just the most recent in a series of bizarre on-court transgressions from Green in the last two seasons. The four-time champ received no regular season penalty for punching then-teammate Jordan Poole in the face during a training camp practice in the fall of 2022. He was suspended, however, after stomping on Kings center Domantas Sabonis‘ chest during a first-round playoff game last season, and again last month after choking Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert.

Green, 33, underwent counseling during his time away. The 2016/17 Defensive Player of the Year also revealed recently that he had contemplated retirement, but was talked out of it by league commissioner Adam Silver.

Because his ban lasted less than 20 games, Green lost $153,931 per contest during the suspension.

Warriors Notes: Kuminga, Podziemski, Curry, Green

January 14th, 2024 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

Draymond Green is expected to return from his suspension this week, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr will have to keep finding minutes for Jonathan Kuminga, writes Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Kuminga is coming off the best back-to-back scoring performances of his career, delivering 28 points on Saturday in Milwaukee after putting up 24 points on Friday at Chicago. Despite seeing his role change frequently throughout the first half of the season, Kuminga has reached double figures in scoring in 19 straight games.

“I wouldn’t say (that statistic) impressed me,” Kuminga said. “I had all summer to go out there and work out, get better, come back and help the team. Obviously, things haven’t gone the right way (in wins and losses). But you can see a lot of progress. … In the past, I’d just put my head down. But now … if I attack and I don’t have nothing (there), I can’t score, kick the ball to someone who’s open.”

Green is expected back by Monday at Memphis or Wednesday at Utah, which will complicate rotation decisions for Kerr, who is already trying to balance Kuminga, Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dario Saric and Andrew Wiggins. Kuminga seems like the only potential star in that group, and Slater notes that he has become Golden State’s best interior scorer, posting 284 points in the paint for a team that doesn’t have anyone else above 200.

“We’re showing him clips every day trying to get him to get to the rim,” Kerr said. “Especially without the ball. He wants to attack. Which is great. But we’re trying to get him to understand if he gets to the dunker spot, finishes his cuts rather than staying at the foul line, it improves our spacing and he’ll pick off two or three buckets per game getting to the dunker, going to the offensive glass and running to that spot in transition or after a screen. His tendency now is to linger on the perimeter. I want him at the rim. He’s one of the best in the league finishing when he gets the ball in the paint.”

There’s more on the Warriors:

Milwaukee native Brandin Podziemski put up 23 points and 10 rebounds in his first career game in his hometown, Slater adds. He was the only Warriors player with a cheering section at Fiserv Forum. “Ran into my seventh-grade English teacher pregame,” Podziemski said. “She said she’s glad I went to military school or else I’d be a troublemaker. … I was actually here the day this building opened. I was a sophomore in high school. I got to meet Giannis (Antetokounmpo).”
Stephen Curry sat out Saturday on the second game of a back-to-back, tweets Kendra Andrews of ESPN. “He’s just wiped out right now,” Kerr said. “He’s basically been healthy all year and we’ve been relying on him heavily. He’s worn out. He needs the night off.”
Green has acted as an unofficial assistant coach since rejoining the team this week, but the Warriors need him back on the court, observes Shayna Rubin of The San Jose Mercury News. Since Green began serving his suspension, Golden State’s defensive rating has been 123.8, which is the second-worst mark in the league during that time, ahead of only Detroit’s 125.1 rating.

Trade Rumors: Suns, Biggest Needs, Warriors, Lewis, More

January 13th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Tristan Tucker

Instead of focusing on acquiring a true point guard for their roster, the Suns are more interested in trying to bring in an athletic wing, NBA on TNT’s Chris Haynes said during a broadcast (via Inside The Suns).

“A lot of people will point to a point guard, but in talking with the Suns they believe that with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, they feel like they need the ball in their hands. They feel like they don’t need another point guard that’s going to take the ball away [from their stars],” Haynes said during the broadcast.

It’s unclear what specific players the Suns are targeting but Haynes expects the market to heat up in the near future, which could provide some clarity.

“Obviously around this time of year, this is when things start to get serious,” Haynes said. “Right now teams are posturing — there’s not a whole lot of sellers right now, but I expect things to change over the next week or so. I think things will really get serious.”

We have more trade rumors from around the league:

Staffers from The Athletic pooled together to break down what all 30 teams in the league should be targeting at the trade deadline. The article mostly focuses on archetypes of players, with Doug Haller agreeing with the notion the Suns need another perimeter defender. Some writers gave specific trade targets for teams, with Andrew Schlect identifying Utah’s Kelly Olynyk and Brooklyn’s Royce O’Neale as two targets who make sense for the Thunder.
In the same article, The Athletic’s Anthony Slater writes the Warriors have “poked around” the center market and could dangle Chris Paul‘s expiring salary. Slater also believes Andrew Wiggins is more likely to be traded at the deadline than Jonathan Kuminga.
A trade involving Pelicans guard Kira Lewis Jr. to avoid the luxury tax feels “inevitable,” according to The Athletic’s William Guillory. While that’s speculation, it has been obvious for months that such a move makes sense. If the Pelicans do move on from Lewis, they should target shooting in return, Guillory writes. Otherwise, he expects New Orleans to have a relatively quiet deadline unless something changes in the next few weeks.
Some recent acquisitions haven’t panned out the way teams may have thought when signing or trading for them, and those teams could look to move said players. The Athletic’s Jay King and Jared Weiss write the Celtics could use another option on the wing since Oshae Brissett hasn’t taken a stranglehold on a rotation spot. Signing Shake Milton hasn’t panned out for the Timberwolves‘ bench, Jon Krawczynski writes, and the team needs more bench scoring as a result. Other recent acquisitions who haven’t quite played up to expectations and could be on the move or supplanted, per The Athletic’s staffers, include the Clippers‘ P.J. Tucker and Jock Landale of the Rockets.
The Wizards have a number of players who could appeal to contending teams, according to The Athletic’s Josh Robbins, including Tyus Jones, Delon Wright, Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala. Robbins writes the goal in any trade, along with obtaining first-round picks, should be to get young prospects who haven’t been able to crack rotations on other teams.

Latest On Pascal Siakam

January 13th, 2024 at 8:21am CST by Tristan Tucker

The Warriors are one of the top threats to trade for Raptors forward Pascal Siakam at the trade deadline, but there are some complicating factors for a potential deal for Golden State or any other team.

As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski explained in a recent TV appearance (Twitter video link) – and as has been previously reported – Siakam has plenty of say on where he wants to go because he’s in the last year of his deal and any team acquiring him has to be prepared to offer a max contract.

The Warriors would have to first decide whether they want to commit long-term money to Siakam and then determine what a trade package looks like from there. A player like Andrew Wiggins, believed to be available, is on the books for at least two years after this one for an average of $27.25MM per year but Marc J. Spears notes there’s “not a lot of value for Wiggins right now.” Jonathan Kuminga was previously mentioned as a sticking point in negotiations between the two teams.

Siakam would undoubtedly be a boon for a Warriors team with well-documented struggles and, according to Wojnarowski, Golden State is interested, but it’s a “difficult pathway” for the two sides on any deal.

On top of that, other teams don’t have to get desperate to try and acquire Siakam’s services due to his impending free agency. Wojnarowski specifically mentions the Pacers as a team that has engaged with Toronto on Siakam and also has the cap flexibility in the offseason to sign him to a free agent deal. While Jarace Walker and Bennedict Mathurin are two young players on Indiana’s roster Toronto general manager Masai Ujiri “would love to get,” Wojnarowski says the Pacers realize they don’t necessarily have to move either due to their upcoming flexibility.

These complicating factors have led some to believe Siakam and Toronto will find a middle ground on an extension that benefits both parties and allows the Raptors to not lose the two-time All-Star in free agency for nothing. However, Wojnarowski says there’s no traction on an extension between the two sides right now.

The Mavericks are another team that makes sense for Siakam and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said during a recent podcast appearance (YouTube link via Locked On Mavericks) that there have been conversations between Dallas and Toronto on a potential deal.

According to Fischer, there are some people in Dallas who view Siakam as a missing piece and believe that a big three headlined by him, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving would make the team a legitimate contender. However, there are others unconvinced he’s worth what he would cost to acquire.

Pacific Notes: Warriors, Curry, Zubac, Beal

January 12th, 2024 at 9:49pm CST by Rory Maher

In search of answers after a poor stretch of games, the Warriors made another change to their starting lineup on Friday night, with Dario Saric replacing Jonathan Kuminga, per Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link). Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney were the other four starters.

Golden State gave up 75 points to the Bulls at half, which was a season-high for Chicago, and trailed by 13 after two periods. But the Warriors rebounded with a 48-20 third quarter and wound up winning by nine.

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Curry has been in a slump of late for the Warriors, and it’s clear the ups and downs of the season have been wearing on him, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. “I feel like we’ve been in this situation for the last two years,” Curry said. “Even in the championship year, we started 18-2 and then we had some rough patches like this where we struggled mightily. These last couple of years have been rough because of all the noise and distractions, because of the lack of consistency on the court. At least last year we had enough to scare somebody. But we’re far from that right now.”
Center Ivica Zubac has been playing an important role during the Clippers‘ surge up the standings, per Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. The eight-year veteran is averaging career highs in multiple categories this season and has formed a strong two-man game on offense with James Harden while anchoring the paint defensively. “I knew I could play in that pocket, that I could be a roll man on offense and defense,” said Zubac. “I’m confident in my game a lot, so I’ve always been confident. But right now, it’s at a high level.”
Suns guard Bradley Beal had his best game of the season during Thursday’s victory over the Lakers in Los Angeles, recording 37 point (on 14-of-21 shooting, including 8-of-10 from deep), six rebounds and four assists in 32 minutes. In a story for Sportskeeda, Mark Medina describes Beal’s transition to Phoenix, writing that the three-time All-Star has drawn rave reviews for fitting in so well with the team, despite dealing with injuries for much of 2023/24. “Brad is one of the best players in the world,” Kevin Durant said. “To see an opportunity to see that close up and see a guy every day and see who he truly is as a player and then you come out there and get moments like that, that’s always fun. I enjoy seeing my teammates cook like that. We’re going to need more from him because that ignites the bench and it ignites the crowd, even if we’re on the road.”

Warriors’ Moses Moody Out At Least 10 Days

January 12th, 2024 at 6:16pm CST by Rory Maher

Third-year wing Moses Moody will miss the remainder of the Warriors‘ road trip due to a left calf strain and will be reevaluated in 10 days, head coach Steve Kerr told reporters, including Kendra Andrews of ESPN (Twitter link).

“Huge loss,” Kerr said of Moody (Twitter link via Kerith Burke of NBC Sports Bay Area).

Moody will miss at least five games, with January 24 vs. Atlanta being the soonest he could possibly return. In a press release (via Twitter), the Warriors say Moody sustained a Grade 1 calf strain in the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s blowout loss to New Orleans and classify the strain as mild.

Moody will join Gary Payton II (left hamstring strain) and Chris Paul (hand surgery) on Golden State’s list of injured players. What once looked like an area of strength — backcourt depth — will be further tested in the coming days. Rookie Brandin Podziemski and veteran Cory Joseph will likely receive an uptick in playing time with Moody out.

Still just 21 years old, Moody is averaging 8.7 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 18.0 MPG this season, with all of those figures representing career highs. The former 14th overall pick has appeared in 34 games in 2023/24, posting a .482/.358/.789 shooting line.

One report last week said Moody was looking for a more consistent role with Golden State, particularly after receiving three straight DNP-CDs. Moody tied his season high with 21 points in each of the past two games, playing 22 and 25 minutes, though Golden State lost both times.

The Warriors are currently 17-20, the No. 12 seed in the Western Conference. Amid their slide down the standings, they’ve been increasingly mentioned in recent trade rumors.

Pacific Notes: Warriors Rumors, Wood, Huerter, Monk

January 11th, 2024 at 9:46pm CST by Tristan Tucker

Every player on the Warriors, except for franchise icon Stephen Curry, appears to be “on the table” for trade in some capacity, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). Charania says this comes with an asterisk, though, with the team likely to want to avoid moving other longtime staples Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

It would be truly shocking to see Golden State trade Thompson or Green, given their significance to the franchise, but Charania’s reporting indicates it’s not absolutely out of the question for the floundering Warriors. Thompson has had a well-documented down season this year and Green is still serving out a long-term suspension that he says made him contemplate retirement. Rumors earlier on Thursday indicated neither may have a long-term future with the franchise. Still, a trade involving either at the deadline would be surprising.

Charania says the Warriors like Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis, but singles out Andrew Wiggins as someone who could be on the move before the Feb. 8 trade deadline. It could have been an oversight, but it is interesting that Moses Moody was not mentioned in that group of young players. Both Kuminga and Moody recently expressed discontent with their playing time.

According to Charania, the Warriors don’t want to take back any long-term money, which makes them unlikely to pursue Bulls guard Zach LaVine. Dejounte Murray, another player whose name has come up around the league, is under contract for four years after this season at $114MM. Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, conversely, is in the final year of his contract and has been tied to the Warriors.

Chris Paul, Kevon Looney and Gary Payton II are among Golden State’s other sizable contracts that could be attractive or purely salary-matching trade assets.

Another subject looming over the Warriors and their desire to get back to contention is the contract status of head coach Steve Kerr, who is on an expiring contract. Erik Spoelstra‘s eight-year, $120MM deal signed earlier this week is likely a decent target figure for Kerr’s potential deal, but Charania hears that there is no traction on an extension between Kerr and Golden State as of now.

We have more from the Pacific Division

Lakers big man Christian Wood bounced in and out of the lineup throughout December but was inserted back into the rotation on Dec. 28 and has been a rotation regular since then. He’s been impressive since rejoining the rotation, The Orange County Register’s Khobi Price writes. Wood is averaging 9.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game since regaining the backup center role, with a 52.6% mark on three-point attempts. “Now he’s settled down and become more and more comfortable with his teammates,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “He’s understanding the guys that he’s out on the floor with and the rhythm in which they play with and he’s finding his spots and keeping it simple.“
Kings guard Kevin Huerter left Sacramento’s Wednesday game against the Hornets after 41 seconds and did not return due to a left ankle injury, The Sacramento Bee’s Chris Biderman observes. Replays showed Huerter stepped on Keegan Murray‘s foot during the opening tip. Huerter said after the game he was unsure how much time he would miss with the injury. According to Biderman, Chris Duarte and Colby Jones, along with Malik Monk, took over Huerter’s minutes.
Monk helped the Kings secure their 25-point victory over Charlotte by scoring 20 points off the bench, Biderman writes in the same article. Monk was the 11th overall pick by the Hornets in 2017 but got off to a slow start to his career under Steve Clifford, Charlotte’s current coach. In four career games vs. Charlotte prior to Wednesday, Monk had averaged just 8.8 points against his former team, according to Biderman. “I don’t think I’ve had one [good game against the Hornets] yet,” Monk said. “So it was good to come back and kick their a– like we did. Put that out there, too. But, nah, it feels great, especially all the love I get here.“

Trade Rumors: Cavaliers, Nets, LaVine, Siakam, More

January 11th, 2024 at 4:25pm CST by Rory Maher

Appearing on his Wine and Gold Talk podcast alongside co-host Ethan Sands, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com examined fake trade proposals from listeners, with one centered on the Cavaliers acquiring Nets forward Dorian Finney-Smith. Fedor thinks that scenario is plausible, as NetsDaily.com relays.

“Dorian Finney-Smith is somebody that I do believe that the Cavs have interest in,” Fedor said. “He is somebody who can play the three and the four, he can shoot well enough from the outside spacing the floor.”

As Fedor explains, the Cavs haven’t shown any interest in discussing any of their core four players (Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen), but if the Nets make Finney-Smith available, he’d be the type of player Cleveland would covet and possibly have a chance to acquire, since his price tag probably wouldn’t be “exorbitant.” There have been reports in the past saying the Nets wanted two first-round picks for Finney-Smith, but that could mean a lot of things.

Cleveland tried to trade for fellow Nets forward Royce O’Neale last season, Fedor added, but obviously Brooklyn wasn’t interested.

As for what might be sent Brooklyn’s way, a source tells Fedor that “the Nets have shown interest in Dean Wade in the past.” Fedor also strongly suggested the Cavs wouldn’t be opposed to moving Wade, which is logical — if none of the core players are sent out, Wade is one of the only two-for-one salary-matching pieces (he makes $5.7MM) that makes sense, though the Cavs would have to add more salary to acquire Finney-Smith ($13.9MM).

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers were interested in a sign-and-trade for P.J. Washington in the offseason, but the Hornets weren’t interested in what Cleveland had to offer and Fedor thinks that is likely still the case. However, Fedor expects Cleveland to check-in on Washington’s availability again prior to the trade deadline.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Fedor said the Cavaliers would consider moving former lottery pick Isaac Okoro in the right deal. Okoro will be a restricted free agent in the summer after he was unable to come to terms on a rookie scale extension with Cleveland. Wade and Okoro ($8.9MM), for example, could work as a framework for Finney-Smith or Washington, though it remains to be seen if Brooklyn or Charlotte would be intrigued by that.
Rival teams remain skeptical the Bulls will be able to move Zach LaVine this season, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, who says Chicago is focused on players who can help the team be competitive now instead of a rebuild. LaVine’s long-term contract (four years, $180MM) is a key obstacle in talks, Fischer adds.
“Several teams” are interested in Raptors forward Pascal Siakam, including the Kings, Pacers, Pistons and Mavericks, all of whom have been described as “active buyers,” Fischer reports. The Warriors have also had internal discussions about Siakam. However, Siakam’s camp believes he’ll be able to sign a long-term maximum-salary contract in free agency, and the two-time All-NBA forward doesn’t appear to have interest in a short-term extension if he’s traded, according to Fischer, who points out that Indiana, Detroit and the Sixers all project to have cap room in 2024 and could sign Siakam outright, perhaps lowering the odds that one of those teams will give up significant assets to acquire him ahead of the trade deadline. That’s why some rivals think Toronto might end up keeping Siakam and possibly extending him instead of losing him for nothing in free agency, Fischer explains.