NBA Rumors: Warriors Had 'Very Serious' Trade Talks About Alex Caruso, Kelly Olynyk

The Golden State Warriors didn't make any notable trades before the deadline, but they reportedly at least considered shaking up the roster.

According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, the Western Conference team "had very serious conversations" regarding Alex Caruso of the Chicago Bulls and Kelly Olynyk, who was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Toronto Raptors.

Shelburne reported the Warriors told interested teams Jonathan Kuminga was untouchable, though, and they never made a move.

Chicago decided against trading Caruso, which was an interesting choice. While he is the team's defensive leader and a key piece in the rotation, he is also under contract for just one more season after the current one. His value is particularly high given how well he has played at times, and a trade could have helped accelerate a shift into rebuilding mode.

Instead, the Bulls held on to him, as well as DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond on expiring contracts, as they pursue a playoff or play-in tournament spot at 25-28.

Golden State isn't in a much different position this season with a 25-25 record. It is in 10th place in the Western Conference and will likely be fighting for a play-in tournament spot down the stretch of the season.

Yet one major difference is the team's recent history, which includes reaching six of the last nine NBA Finals with the core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr leading the way.

While trading Kuminga, who is 21 years old and could be a future franchise cornerstone, for an additional piece to help a play-in tournament run wouldn't have been wise, it was still somewhat surprising the front office didn't make any moves to help Curry compete in his age-35 season.

Perhaps the Bulls were asking for too much in return for Caruso. Even Olynyk netted a 2024 first-round pick, among other things, from the Raptors.

But it is difficult to envision the Warriors as they are currently constructed making much noise in the Western Conference playoffs even if Curry is brilliant on a nightly basis. A trade could have helped, but the front office decided to stay the course instead.