Warriors Trade Targets with 2023 NBA Trade Deadline a Month Away

When a shoulder injury sidelined Stephen Curry in mid-December, it threatened to derail the Golden State Warriors' entire season.

Instead, it has improbably inspired some of their best basketball to date.

The Dubs, defending NBA champs, entered Wednesday night riding a season-high five-game winning streak. That includes triumphs over the Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks, the latter keyed by a 54-point Klay Thompson eruption.

If this Warriors roster is growing in Curry's absence as it seems to be, this team could be even harder to handle once its floor-bending floor general returns. Perhaps that's an argument for sitting out the trade season.

Then again, if this group is flashing the ability to perhaps defend its crown, that might provide an extra push for the front office to hit the trade market and seek out ways to shore up their weaknesses. If that's the mindset in Northern California, then the following three players might feature prominently on the Warriors' wish list.

Alex Caruso, Chicago Bulls

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CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 2: Alex Caruso #6 of the Chicago Bulls dribbles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 2, 2022 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)

After moving on from Gary Payton II last summer, the Warriors have lost some point-of-attack zip on the defensive end.

The scrappy Caruso could help bring some of that back.

He's a heady player who uses instincts and effort to compensate for his lack of elite physical tools, and he just always sniffs out ways of making winning plays. Whether it's an extra pass, a timely steal or a slippery cut to the basket, he makes the kind of energizing contributions that can elevate his entire team.

Should the Bulls pivot into a rebuild by the deadline, Caruso will surely attract a ton of interest from top contenders. The Warriors should be among the many suitors making calls.

Jae Crowder, Phoenix Suns

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DALLAS, TX - MAY 12: Jae Crowder #99 of the Phoenix Suns. looks on during the game against the Dallas Mavericks during Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals on May 12, 2022 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Warriors needed more depth at the forward spots even before losing Andrew Wiggins to injuries and illness. The loss of their top stopper has only made that need more glaring.

A defensive-minded player who can hit an open jumper and slide between the 3 and 4 spots would be ideal. Why couldn't Crowder be that player?

He's been awaiting a trade out of Phoenix all season, and one would think the Suns will finally fetch whatever they're after by the time the deadline rolls around. Crowder may not be a star, but he is an experienced swingman who brings a tone-setting toughness to the defensive end and a there-when-he-needs-it three-ball to the other side.

While some newcomers need a while to adjust to the Warriors' system, Crowder could be a quick learner. He has played alongside a number of stars (and with seven different franchises) over his 10-plus-year career, which has seen him appear in 735 regular-season games and 107 playoff outings.

Cory Joseph, Detroit Pistons

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DETROIT, MI - DECEMBER 20: Cory Joseph #18 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball during the game against the Utah Jazz on December 20, 2022 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Warriors need a pass-first player to run their reserve unit. That's why Draymond Green found so much success when suiting up with the subs. It's also why two-way player Ty Jerome has become a rotation regular.

But Green can only do so much for the second-teamers when he's needed to connect the dots for the starting five. And Jerome's future is very much up in the air, since players on two-way contracts can only be active for 50 regular-season games and can't be a part of the playoff roster without their contracts being converted to standard deals.

In other words, the Warriors may very well need a ball-mover. Joseph could not only cover that area, he'd also serve as the head of the snake on defense.

He isn't much of a scoring threat (career 7.0 points per game), and he doesn't shoot the three with much volume (1.6 career attempts per game) or accuracy (34.3 percent), but he shares the rock, limits his mistakes and competes on defense. For his career, he has tripled his nightly 1.0 turnovers with 3.0 assists.