The one big addition the Golden State Warriors made at the NBA trade deadline this season was Kristaps Porzingis in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks. That addition has not turned out as planned, with the veteran center dealing with a mysterious illness that's seen him play just three games.
That, coupled with an awkward moment in a Sacramento Kings game on Wednesday night reveals the Warriors may have made a mistake at the deadline. The Kings hosted the red-hot Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday and there was an awkward moment with a Hornets fan who was seeking an autograph from star player LaMelo Ball. The former Rookie of the Year apparently didn't see the fan, but Kings veteran DeMar DeRozan watched the scene unfold and went over to the young fan to talk with him and also took a picture with him so he'd feel better.
Warriors should have made a play for DeMar DeRozan at the trade deadline
It does not seem like Ball intentionally snubbed the fan or anything. He may have just not seen him, but the fact that DeRozan went over to make a fan for the opposing team feel better just speaks to his character.
"Those kids hold on to those memories forever, and I try not to miss it when I have the opportunity to do it, DeRozan said following the exchange.
There were some rumblings connecting DeRozan and the Warriors ahead of the trade deadline. He would have made sense as something of a fill-in for Jimmy Butler after he went down with an ACL tear, but ultimately he stayed put with the Kings.
If the Warriors could go back in time, maybe they would have tried to land DeRozan instead of Porzingis. DeRozan has at least been healthy and on the court, and he is more of a scorer than Porzingis which was proven in a 39-point outburst in the loss to Charlotte.
He's averaged 18.4 points per game this season so he can still get it done at the age of 36. No one can fully replace what Butler does on the floor, but DeRozan would have at least given the Dubs a proven veteran scorer, something that would have especially come in handy if they knew how long Stephen Curry's knee injury would last.
Beyond all of that, DeRozan seems like a really good guy and would have been a nice culture fit with the Warriors as well. That may not be what fans care about the most, but there is probably one young fan who was in attendance in Sacramento on Wednesday night who would disagree.