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Warriors Trade Rumors: No 'Current Plans' to Acquire a Center at 2022 NBA Deadline
January 24, 2022
The Golden State Warriors are staying the course.
Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported the Warriors have no "current plans" to add a center before the Feb. 10 trade deadline amid Draymond Green's continued absence with a disc issue.
Green has been out of the lineup since exiting less than a minute into the Warriors' Jan. 9 game against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Warriors announced Jan. 16 that Green would be reevaluated in two more weeks. No timetable for his return to the floor has been given.
Golden State is 4-4 over the eight-game stretch without its defensive leader, relying on Otto Porter Jr. to fill the void in the starting lineup. The Warriors have surprisingly managed to keep themselves together over that stretch, ranking fifth in defensive efficiency, but they've struggled to maintain their offensive flow.
Green's absence leaves Stephen Curry as the only reliable creator in the Warriors' starting lineup, and the strain has shown. Curry is in the midst of a miserable shooting slump, shooting 30.7 percent from three over the last eight games, including a 1-of-13 performance in Sunday's win over the Utah Jazz. Klay Thompson has also shot 37.2 percent in six games since returning to the lineup, clearly working off rust after missing 30 months of action due to injuries.
The Warriors rank 23rd in offensive efficiency since Green's exit.
Given that the Warriors' main issue without Green has been their offense, it's no surprise they're holding steady on making a win-now move at the center spot. It's possible the team may want to look into a secondary playmaker on the wing to help out Curry if Green's injury is going to extend well past the deadline.
The Warriors are also expecting James Wiseman back at some point this season. The second-year center has not played a game this season while recovering from a torn meniscus.