Warriors' Complete 2023 NBA Trade Deadline Preview, Predictions
If you squint at the 2022-23 Golden State Warriors, you can see the outlines of a club capable of defending its NBA title.
The Warriors have an MVP candidate in Stephen Curry and a fully loaded starting five that trounces teams by a whopping 19.7 points per 100 possessions, per NBA.com.
Of course, they also have only a 26-24 record and one of the Association's least efficient second units, so there's a reason that squinting is a must to view this team as a true contender.
What does that mean for the upcoming trade deadline? Great question. One might assume this club's ceiling stretches high enough to aggressively buy, but the Dubs aren't loaded with assets and parting with any of them might dim the organization's long-term outlook.
Should Golden State make that kind of sacrifice? We'll tackle that question and more in this comprehensive deadline preview.
Trade Assets
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The Warriors have the resources to make a move, but almost any trade would threaten to burn their bridge to the future.
Now, maybe that's something you have to do with a generational talent like Steph Curry still in his prime, but Golden State's top three trade chips—Jonathan Kuminga, James Wiseman and Moses Moody—are all recent lottery picks. It would be tough to abandon ship already, especially when Wiseman and Moody have uncertain trade values at this point.
That's probably why all three are expected to stick with Golden State "beyond the deadline," per The Athletic's Anthony Slater.
If the Dubs don't move any member of that trio, who (or what) could they part with? Quite possibly nothing, since they don't often make major moves at the deadline.
If they do any dealing, though, they can trade a first-round pick in 2026 (or any year after), have five second-round selections at their disposal and could create a pinch of flexibility by unloading JaMychal Green.
Team Needs
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The Warriors could use another big. The question is whether that need is great enough to justify the cost.
Jakob Poeltl would be a great defensive anchor, while Kelly Olynyk could be all kinds of fun in this offense as a jumbo shooter and clever passer. They wouldn't, however, start or close playoff games over Draymond Green and Kevon Looney.
So, you're talking about a low-minute reserve who probably wouldn't spend more than a few months with this team. They would help, sure, but not for long and probably not in a significant way.
That might be why the Warriors reportedly prefer to add "a versatile multi-positional wing" more than another big man, per Slater. Still, most (all?) modern clubs covet that exact archetype, so the price tag could be too steep.
Finally, Golden State needs to decide on the futures of two-way players Ty Jerome and Anthony Lamb, both of whom would need their contracts converted to standard deals to be eligible for the playoffs. If the Dubs don't plan on converting them, then they would need a backup ball-mover to replace the former or more frontcourt depth to cover for the latter.
Deadline Predictions
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I'm not sure if this qualifies as disappointing or encouraging, but the likeliest deadline deal for the Dubs is no deal at all.
Kuminga already fills a need for this team with his point-of-attack defense, and his offensive flashes send the imagination running wild with what his future could hold. And while it's possible Wiseman and Moody never fit this system, it still seems too early to make that call, especially when trading either one could mean taking back 25 cents on the dollar.
A Wiseman-and-something-for-Poeltl concept is intriguing. Sending Wiseman and Moody (and maybe more) to Charlotte for P.J. Washington, Mason Plumlee and Jalen McDaniels could really fortify the rotation for the playoffs.
Still, it doesn't seem like major moves are in the cards. If the Warriors add a player or two this season, that probably won't happen until the buyout market opens.
