Any momentum the Golden State Warriors hoped to continue with following Thursday's blowout win was quickly extinguished on Saturday night, having been outplayed and outgunned in falling to a 118-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at Chase Center.
Having fallen back below a .500 record once again at 22-23, the Warriors remain outside the Play-In Tournament right now at 11th in the Western Conference standings.
NBA insiders have painted a brutal outlook for the Warriors season
There's plenty of conjecture on what the Warriors could do prior to the February 6 trade deadline, but one thing has become almost certain -- they won't be acquiring a second All-Star calibre player that's become so elusive over the last 12 months.
Only one of those is likely to be available before the deadline anyway, with the Jimmy Butler saga in Miami still ongoing as the Phoenix Suns continue to try and find a path to acquire the 6x All-Star.
ESPN's NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps painted a fairly rough outlook for the Warriors in their latest trade intel, seemingly suggesting that the franchise has little hope of securing a playoff spot without going through the Play-In Tournament.
"There is no player available via trade right now who will change Golden State's fortunes enough to spark a run into the West's top six,' the ESPN pair wrote.
They also reported that Golden State's desperation level is 'low' before the deadline, which reiterates a recent narrative that the franchise will look to play out the remainder of the season before re-assessing what they can do during the summer.
That's not to say the Warriors couldn't make a deal for 2x All-Star Nikola Vucevic who has been the player most linked to the franchise in recent weeks. Quinten Post's recent rotational role has provided Golden State with a taste of how important a stretch five could be within their offense, with Vucevic a more veteran, proven starting option who could be a Warrior by the deadline.
While Windhorst and Bontemps clearly don't believe that adding Vucevic could inspire a run to a top six seed in the West, perhaps they're underplaying the impact a shooting big man could have on the Warriors.
Whether coincidence or not, Golden State have averaged over 118 points and ranked sixth in offensive rating over the last three games since Post has held a meaningful rotation role. The Warriors should also get a boost on both ends of the floor when forwards Draymond Green and Jonathan Kuminga hopefully return from injury over the next month.