Do the Golden State Warriors need another star, or does Yaxel Lendeborg's emergence mean they should simply be targeting another high quality, perhaps starting caliber role player? It's the question the front office must be asking themselves and will continue to evaluate leading up to February's mid-season trade deadline.
Stephen Curry's latest injury provides a reason as to why the Warriors should pursue another star, including Washington Wizards big man Anthony Davis who continues to be linked to the franchise after rumors during the offseason.
Stephen Curry injury makes Anthony Davis trade more enticing
Curry's torn oblique that will see him miss at least two weeks (and likely more) shouldn't be overly surprising. There was also a high likelihood that the two-time MVP was going to miss some time during the regular season, and it was really a matter of when and what injury he'd suffer.
The Warriors are now left with rookie forward Yaxel Lendeborg running the show. While that's exciting, it also threatens to overburden the 11th overall pick with an unfair level of offensive responsibility while Curry and Jimmy Butler are out.
Just think for a second if Golden State also had Davis available to them during the Curry and Butler-less period? They'd surely feel better about their chances of creating offense and ultimately being able to remain competitive and win games.
It's not a reality the Warriors can create just yet, but come December 15 they will have a potential trade package involving Draymond Green, Kristaps Porzingis, Moses Moody and draft capital that they could theoretically offer the Wizards.
Warriors could try and ensure they have two stars on the floor at all times
The enticing element is not just a starting five of Curry, Brandin Podziemski, Butler, Lendeborg and Davis, but the idea of having two of their stars on the floor at all times -- if we're already labelling Lendeborg a star.
When all four are healthy, Steve Kerr would be able to manage the rotation so two are on the floor during every single second. Then when one or two are resting, or inevitably missing time through injury, they'd still have at least two stars to fall back on.
Acquiring a star like Davis would provide a level of insurance that the Warriors don't currently possess. The 33-year-old himself still faces injury concerns, but there's no doubting his on-court capabilities after averaging 25.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 block in 11 games this season.
Perhaps the Warriors can still rise into contention with their current roster and trading Porzingis for a starting level role player, yet landing another star in Davis or someone else has the potential of both raising their ceiling and floor.
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