The Golden State Warriors are in Toronto preparing for their third game of a four-game road-trip against the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on Monday.
Having split their recent back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, the Warriors will welcome back three key starters on Monday. Superstar guard Stephen Curry and veteran forward Draymond Green will return are resting on Friday, while Andrew Wiggins will also be back in the lineup after missing the last two games due to personal reasons.
Warriors will get first-hand look at a possible trade target
Golden State will still be without guards Gary Payton II and Brandin Podziemski, with the latter confirming on Sunday that he's still not nearing a return. Jonathan Kuminga also remains out with his ankle sprain that's left the Warriors with even more offensive issues over recent games.
It's the opposite for Toronto who have a completely empty injury report -- a somewhat extraordinary feat for this time of the season. Despite their improved injury luck over recent weeks, the Raptors are still struggling having won just one of their past 17 games.
The Raptors are 14th in the Eastern Conference standings with an 8-31 record, with Toronto currently ranking 24th in the league in offense, 28th in defense, and 27th in overall net rating.
Their struggles mean they're likely to be sellers ahead of the February 6 trade deadline, particularly when it comes to veteran guard and 2023 NBA champion Bruce Brown. The 28-year-old has now played six games since returning from injury, but Brown is off to a slow start in averaging just 6.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 18.2 minutes.
However, it's veteran big man Kelly Olynyk who Warrior fans may be more interested in watching from an opposition standpoint. The Warriors targeted the 33-year-old at last season's trade deadline, only for the Raptors to come over the top and make a deal with the Utah Jazz for the Canadian native.
Bleacher Report and The Stein Line's Jake Fischer said as recently as Friday that Olynyk could once again be on Golden State's radar given the rebuilding nature of the Raptors.
Kelly Olynyk was someone that the Warriors almost traded for at last year's trade deadline. That was, from my understanding, very close to being done," Fischer said. "So Kelly Olynyk is a name I would keep an eye on for Golden State still. Very manageable salary to trade for, right around the mid-level exception."
Steve Kerr noted how nice it was to have a stretch big on the floor in the form of rookie center Quinten Post after Friday's game against the Pacers, raising the possibility and discussion of Golden State acquiring a more proven shooting center before the deadline.
Olynyk has returned from injury to play 16 games with the Raptors so far this season, averaging 6.7 points on 42.3% shooting from beyond the arc. The 6'11" big man is a career 37% 3-point shooter and is making $12.8 million this season.