Positon in the Standings
The Golden State Warriors are in dead last in the Western Conference.
It’s just that they’re last. With Stephen Curry’s projected return on March 1, the Warriors could still find a way to make a playoff push. However, they’re more than five games out of even 14th place, a reflection of just how awful they’ve been this season.
That’s okay though.
With Curry and Klay Thompson out, the Warriors weren’t supposed to be a championship contender. D’Angelo Russell has also missed multiple weeks which certainly doesn’t bode well for the team that’s reached five straight NBA Finals.
After trading and protecting their 2020 first-round pick, the Warriors want to stay out of contention in order to secure that pick. It’s not even about keeping the pick but making sure that it’s among the best in the 2020 NBA Draft.
They want to trade Burks and Robinson III, in theory, to weaken their roster to continue to be one of the league’s worst teams in order to secure a high pick.