The high level options are seemingly running out for the Golden State Warriors leading up to the trade deadline, with the latest on Trey Murphy III leaving Michael Porter Jr. as the clear next target for Mike Dunleavy Jr. and the front office.
According to NBA insider Chris Haynes on Friday, the New Orleans Pelicans are informing rival teams that Murphy will be remaining with them past the deadline which, if true, takes away one of Golden State's ideal trade options for young forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Michael Porter Jr. is the obvious next target for the Warriors
With the Pelicans seemingly uninterested in moving on from Murphy, and Anthony Davis surely no longer an option following his latest injury blow, acquiring Porter appears the best case scenario for the Warriors before the deadline.
Veteran forward Draymond Green certainly sparked speculation on social media with a viral clip from his podcast on Friday, suggesting that we'll see what happens with Porter and a possible trade over the next nine days.
Fans were certainly intrigued by Green's "nine days" reference, with that potentially alluding to Kuminga's imminent trade eligibility on January 15. Golden State would have to include Kuminga in a potential multi-team trade, while also giving up mid-tier salaries in Moses Moody and Buddy Hield, along with draft capital to incentivize the Brooklyn Nets.
But even beyond Green's comments, Porter is quite clearly the best remaining option of those who appear to be realistically available. The Warriors might still have Giannis Antetokounmpo atop their wish list, but it's now obvious that the Milwaukee Bucks, whether rightly or wrongly, are determined to try and add talent rather than move on from their franchise superstar mid-season.
Murphy, who had a career-high 42 points against the Los Angeles Lakers earlier in the week, may have been preferable to Porter given his slightly lower salary. Murphy and Porter are similar players as big forwards with sweet shooting strokes, both of who would assuredly fit into the Golden State system and give them a third scoring option to bolster a 15th-ranked offense.
Golden State can't be choosers in this scenario though -- if Porter is the one that's truly available for a first-round pick or two, they have to set their sights on him and act accordingly. The fact they've won eight of their past 11 games reiterates that fact, and so too does the form of Stephen Curry who remains, despite nearing 38-years-old, one of the league's best players.