The Golden State Warriors desperately need to upgrade their roster before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, but they won’t be landing Keon Ellis. The needed 3-and-D wing went to the Cavaliers in a three-team trade on Saturday night. A rival contender got stronger, and the Dubs missed out on a potential piece to strengthen their roster in the double gut-punch fans didn’t need.
Two former Warriors were involved in this trade. The Cavaliers acquired Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, Sacramento got De’Andre Hunter, and the Bulls picked up Dario Saric and two second-round draft picks. Saric and Schroder had previous stints in the Bay Area.
Golden State is feeling the pressure to improve their roster after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury. Fans are dreaming of a Giannis deal. Warriors fans may not be feeling the sting of missing out on Ellis, but that could change by deadline day. This may be the best move the Dubs could have realistically made.
Warriors watch Keon Ellis go to the Cavaliers in a 3-team trade
Acquiring De’Andre Hunter seemingly ends the Kings' interest in Jonathan Kuminga. They play the same position, but nobody would be surprised to see Sacramento make a head-scratching move. Golden State lacked interest in the pieces the Kings were trying to send back. The Warriors want to trade Kuminga for an upgrade, and Ellis did not make enough money to make a one-for-one trade viable.
Golden State has to give Stephen Curry more help before the deadline passes on Thursday. They are eighth in the Western Conference and already 3.5 games out of the top six.
Butler is out for the season, which only makes things harder for the Warriors. They need someone to step up as their number two scorer if they can’t acquire one. Kuminga is the obvious person, but the Dubs must trade for more depth if that is the plan.
Keon Ellis will thrive in Cleveland. The 3-and-D guard was not playing his ideal role in Sacramento. Expect more open looks to come on the Cavaliers, and his ability to defend at the point of attack will help solve the Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland defensive woes. The Warriors will regret not making this move even more if Ellis takes a step in Cleveland in the right role.
Golden State is focused on their Giannis pursuit. They have the edge if the Bucks decide to move on before Feb. 5, and the Warriors are rightfully all-in. It forced them to miss on Keon Ellis completely. It will be worth it if the Greek Freak lands in the Bay Area, but a strikeout will cause even more pain.
The Golden State Warriors will be active and aggressive before the trade deadline. The first deal of the week helped a rival contender and saw Golden State miss out on a piece that could have helped. It ratcheted up the pressure on Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office to make it worth it. Stay tuned to see what the Dubs can do before Thursday’s final buzzer.