Steve Kerr hints at Warriors trade plans after exciting glimpse from rookie center

It was hard to take too much from the Golden State Warriors 108-96 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday, with the visitors missing their best four players and arguably six of top eight or nine in Steve Kerr's rotation.

That created some opportunity for those towards the end of the roster as the Warriors fought hard but were ultimately outmatched by more talented opposition. Two-way contracted guard Pat Spencer had a career and equal team-high 17 points off the bench, while Gui Santos backed up Thursday's impressive performance with an efficient 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 24 minutes.

Steve Kerr hints at Warriors trade needs after Quinten Post's exciting performance

Quinten Post also saw some rare minutes in his rookie year, albiet only seven as the 10th man in Kerr's rotation. It was only a glimpse of what the second-year big man could be, but it was exciting nonetheless particularly given Golden State's need for a shooting five.

Post came in and took two 3-point attempts, drilling the second on a pick-and-pop with Dennis Schroder that was his first career triple. He also converted on an and-1 in the final two minutes, proving too big for veteran James Johnson with a smart finish in the lane.

But while Post had a career-high six points on Friday, it was arguably another play where he didn't score that was most glaring during his limited second-half minutes. Late in the third-quarter Buddy Hield rejected a Post screen at the top of the arc, beating Ben Shepherd off the dribble for an easy uncontested layup at the rim.

That was notable because Thomas Bryant was stuck on the perimeter respecting Post's shooting ability, leaving the lane wide open for Hield to attack and finish. With non-shooting threats like Trayce Jackson-Davis or Kevon Looney on the floor, Bryant would have been hanging back closer to the paint ready to help on the drive.

Kerr was impressed with Post's minutes when asked in the post-game press conference, describing how things open up offensively when Golden State have a shooting center on the floor.

“To see him come in and space the floor, you see what the impact is of having a space big," Kerr said (via Danny Emerman). "You go pick-and-pop and all of the sudden the whole lane opens up. That’s a nice look for us."

Kerr also acknowledged that he and general manager Mike Dunleavy have spoken about having a shooting center, something the Warriors have lacked on the roster over recent years. With Post still a developmental player on a two-way contract, perhaps his performance and Kerr's post-game comments provide a hint on what Golden State's trade plans are ahead of the February 6 deadline.

ESPN's Marc J. Spears reported earlier in the week that the Warriors are much more interested in adding a big man as opposed to another guard or wing. Of the available options on the trade market, 2x All-Star Nikola Vucevic has been the most discussed option within Golden State according to The Athletic last week.

Post's brief cameo against the Pacers only enhanced the Warriors need to add a proven shooting big man, whether that be Vucevic, Kelly Olynyk or a more hopeful bid for Myles Turner who the franchise saw on Friday.