Bleacher Report links Golden State Warriors with veteran quartet

Once again below .500 and with their best player set for a stint on the sidelines over the coming weeks, the Golden State Warriors are under immense pressure to salvage their title-defending 2022-23 season.

Many have suggested that their remedy is a mid-season trade manoeuvre, with the franchise’s audacious two-timeline plan appearing shaky at best with a 14-15 record.

In an article on Wednesday, Bleacher Report linked four veterans whom the Golden State Warriors could target prior to February’s trade deadline.

Writer Eric Pincus delved into the ‘Latest NBA Intel on Trade-Season Storylines’, with the Warriors mentioned repeatedly throughout the report. The most credible link appears to be wantaway Suns forward Jae Crowder, with Pincus stating “the Warriors have had an interest”.

"“Do the Suns want to send Jae Crowder to a Western Conference contender to guard Devin Booker? The Golden State Warriors have had an interest…Phoenix was close to sending him to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-way deal with the Rockets. Talks extended to include the Warriors, but nothing came of it”, Pincus wrote."

Crowder and the Suns agreed to part ways prior to the season, but no deal has been forthcoming nearly a third of the way through. While his three-and-D skill set would certainly attract teams like the Warriors, is Crowder’s consistency on both ends good enough to warrant utilizing James Wiseman in a trade to match salaries? Like any deal before the deadline, the proof might come in what the Warriors youngsters, and most notably Wiseman, produce in the coming weeks without Stephen Curry.

The other three players linked seem more like logical targets rather than any sort of concrete reporting — though the names are nothing new. The obvious one is San Antonio Spurs’ big man  Jakob Poeltl who was reported to be a major target of the Warriors less than a fortnight ago. Pincus has gone down the same path stating –

"“He’ll (Poeltl) be an unrestricted free agent this summer and could be the best available center at the deadline. Teams like the Clippers, Warriors and Lakers may have an interest.”"

A more nonsensical option is Raptors wing Gary Trent Jr., though he too has previously been linked with the Warriors in the last month. While he could be available given the Raptors’ struggles, Trent’s $18.8 million contract makes it extremely unlikely that Golden State could acquire him. Still, it hasn’t stopped Pincus from considering it as an option.

"“Trent (almost 24) would fit with any team looking to add a wing scorer who can defend. The Suns, Lakers, Warriors, Hawks and Heat could be interested.”"

The Warriors have also been loosely linked to Pacers center Myles Turner in the past, but most teams have given he’s reportedly been on the trade block for a couple of seasons. Many believe the 26-year-old’s combination of perimeter shooting and interior shot-blocking would perfectly fit the Golden State system, but again, his $17.5 million expiring contract would make things difficult.

Complicating the situation is the Pacers’ surprising place as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, meaning they may not be the sellers many expected. Still, according to Pincus, “plenty of teams have interest if the Pacers change course, including the Lakers, Clippers and Warriors.” 

The most likely scenario is that the Warriors evaluate this coming period without Curry before choosing their next course of action. If the younger players contribute in helping the Warriors maintain around a .500 record, then Bob Myers and the front office may feel comfortably in attacking the second half of the season with what they have.

However, if they fall on their face amid increasing pressure, then that same pressure will be transferred to Myers and his capacity to make use of another sensational Curry season.