Golden State Warriors NBA Trade Deadline Preview

Golden State Warriors fans should expect a very quiet NBA trade deadline this year…again.

More from Blue Man Hoop

With all the Kevin Durant free agency talk going on in regard to the Golden State Warriors, talk of the looming NBA trade deadline and how it could possibly affect the Dubs has taken a backseat. Considering the fact that Golden State currently sits at 46-4 in league standings, the fact of the matter is it’s incredibly unlikely general manager Bob Myers pulls the trigger on any moves that could potentially compromise the make-up of the team as it is right now.

That’s not to rule out the possibility entirely, however.

As it stands, Golden State is looking to pay the luxury tax for the first time after just barely avoiding it last season: Andre Iguodala and Andrew Bogut remain on high end deals, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green have only just begun to significantly impact the team’s cap, and, most importantly, Stephen Curry is up for a VERY hefty contract extension come next year.

As unlikely as it may be that Golden State makes a move at the deadline, even more unlikely are the chances that teams even make a call about any of the aforementioned players. Also for sure on the team’s list of guys that won’t be moved: Shaun Livingston, Festus Ezeli, and Harrison Barnes.

It’s entirely plausible a few offers for Brandon Rush and Leandro Barbosa could be mulled over, but the chances of the GSW front office doing away with their instant office in one fell swoop are slim, as are the chances of moving cheap contracts like Ian Clark, James Michael McAdoo, and least of all, Kevon Looney.

Which puts all but two names on the team’s list of untouchables: Marreese Speights, and Jason Thompson.

Speights is on an expiring deal worth $3.81 million this season. He’s had a down year after falling out of the rotation, averaging 6.0 points and 3.3 rebounds on a career low 38.7 percent shooting from the field.

He’s had his moments, however, most recently scoring 15 much needed points in the Warriors’ game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It’s important to acknowledge that in certain situations, Speights has been effective in small spurts and will likely remain a situational sub for Steve Kerr. Despite that, the Mo Buckets era will be coming to an end soon, and the only real question is when exactly the axe will come down.

But does all of that makes Speights a viable money-saving trade option at the deadline? It’s no secret the team loves having Mo, and while he may have fallen out of the rotation, his presence on the roster continues to serve as insurance should Bogut or Ezeli be forced to take some time off in the postseason. My verdict: Speights will live out the rest of his contract with Golden State, and he’ll likely play an influential part in the team’s title run later down the road.

The same cannot be said of Jason Thompson, who’s been unable to find his place in the rotation all year. As much as I’ve hoped Thompson would somehow figure out a way to help out in Golden State’s small ball lineup, ownership has had to continually swallow the pill of paying a completely irrelevant player a guaranteed sum over $6 million. With just a partial guarantee on his contract for 2016-17, he is the most likely player to be moved at the deadline.

Next: Warriors defeat OKC

As suggested by Nate Duncan and Danny Leroux on the Dunc’d On podcast, a team like the Portland Trailblazers could really use a contract like Thompson’s to help push them up to the salary floor. The only thing stopping the Warriors from dumping his salary in such a manner is they won’t have any draft picks to help sweeten a potential deal.

Golden State has their 2016 first rounder, but as stipulated by the Ted Stapien rule, teams are restricted from trading away consecutive future first round draft picks. GSW’s 2017 pick is owed to the Utah Jazz as part of the Iguodala trade, and the Warriors are also without a second rounder for 2016, 2017, and 2018.

The Warriors would remain over the luxury tax threshold for 2016 even if they were to dump Thompson’s money, but such a move would greatly lessen the blow. There’s still a chance Thompson could find his niche in the second half of the season and play a role — much like Speights — as insurance for the rotational bigs, but it probably wouldn’t be wise putting money on that notion.

Bottom line: don’t expect Golden State to compromise their team’s chemistry for the sake of saving a few million dollars in the middle of a historical season. Staying pat at the deadline and waiting for buyout contracts in March is the best way to go for the top team in the league.

Home/Stephen Curry