Trayce Jackson-Davis is sending the Warriors a message they can't ignore

There may be reports of the Golden State Warriors' interest in an athletic big man before the mid-season deadline, but Trayce Jackson-Davis is sending a message that he's actually the solution rather than an alternative trade target.

Jackson-Davis isn't playing a substantial role for Steve Kerr from a minutes standpoint, yet he's still finding a way to have an impact and did so again on Christmas Day despite the return of veteran center Al Horford.

Warriors might not need to trade for a center before the deadline

Jackson-Davis played nearly 13 minutes on Thursday, throwing down some dunks and being a presence on both ends of the floor to finish with 10 points and five rebounds on 5-of-6 shooting as Golden State recorded a 126-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks.

Having a pick-and-roll/lob threat, and someone who can generally finish emphatically around the rim stands out on a Warrior roster that otherwise lacks it, especially with young forward Jonathan Kuminga out of the rotation.

It's also incredibly impactful when Golden State can complement Jackson-Davis' interior presence with shooting from their other big men, something that proved the case on Christmas as Horford drilled four threes in the space of a few minutes to end the opening period.

NBA insider Chris Haynes reported last Friday that the Warriors are chasing an athletic big man, identifying a trio of potential trade targets in Nic Claxton, Daniel Gafford and Robert Williams III.

However, if Steve Kerr's comments are anything to go by after Thursday's win, then perhaps Golden State may be content with a three-headed center rotation of Jackson-Davis, Horford and current starter Quinten Post.

"Our centers are all playing well. I think QP, it's funny because QP has not shot the ball well, but he's played really really well defensively. To have Trayce out there doing the same, defending, blocking shots, and then to have Al. Suddenly we have a pretty big front line should we choose to go big," Kerr said.

Jackson-Davis has now played at least 12 minutes in seven of his last eight games, while the Warriors are a +32 during that span as they try and find the right combinations following an underwhelming start to the season.

Kerr still went small with Draymond Green at the five at times in the second-half on Thursday, but that may have had more to do with matching the Mavericks who lost Anthony Davis due to injury after only 10 minutes.

It will be interesting to see how Kerr utilizes the three centers over the next few weeks, but there's little doubt that Jackson-Davis has done more than enough to remain in the rotation and potentially alter trade plans leading into the deadline.