Golden State Warriors linked to two gettable targets as trade speculation heats up
The Golden State Warriors may be in the most perilous position they've been in quite some time. After a horrible collapse against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, reports of player unrest further emerged.
The Warriors then scraped by the Detroit Pistons on Friday night, doing little to inspire confidence among fans after the disaster of the night before. Earlier on Friday, The Athletic's Anthony Slater confirmed it's 'likely to be an aggressive (trade) deadline for the Warriors.'
The Golden State Warriors have been linked to two of the biggest names expected to be gettable ahead of the February 8 trade deadline
With Golden State set to be active in trade discussions, it's only natural that they're going to be linked to some of the bigger names on the market. That was the case in the wake of the Nuggets loss, with TNT and Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes officially putting them as a team to monitor for Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam
"“There’s a wild horse team out there that I’ve been told to look out for by rival executives, not to say anything is happening right now but the Golden State Warriors, what's happening over there? There's some turmoil going on, Haynes said. Pascal Siakam I was told could end up being on the Golden State Warriors radar.""
Siakam's value may only be soaring as he continues to play well despite the trade speculation. The two-time All-Star has a pair of games with at least 35 points, and two more with at least 24 points, in his last five games overall.
Any Siakam deal is likely to include Canadian Andrew Wiggins or veteran point-guard Chris Paul, along with some combination of young assets, perhaps Jonathan Kuminga and/or Moses Moody, plus future draft picks.
Meanwhile, Hoops Wire's Sam Amico has also revealed the Warriors to be a 'dark horse' for Chicago Bulls wing Zach Lavine. The 28-year-old is widely reported to be available, though Chicago may have a tough time getting off the four years and roughly $180 million left on LaVine's contract.
""The Lakers, 76ers, and Hornets are all believed to at least have some interest in LaVine, with sources telling Hoops Wire that the floundering Warriors could be a possible dark horse," Amico wrote."
LaVine would make little sense from a Golden State perspective -- both because of his on-court fit as another guard/wing in a deep rotation, combined with the financial commitment moving forward. The two-time All-Star made his return to the Bulls lineup on Friday after missing 17 games through injury, tallying 15 points, five rebounds and four assists in just under 30 minutes.
With the Warriors flailing at a 17-18 record, a trade before the deadline seems almost assured. However, whether it's a substantial move for a multi-time All-Star like Siakam or LaVine remains to be seen.