NBA Trade Rumors: Warriors GM Larry Riley 'Hopeful' to Make Deal

As the trade deadline rapidly approaches, one of the teams heavily involved in trade talks is the 12-17 Golden State Warriors. With a surplus of trade value on their young and talented roster, it's only right to assume that if a trade is made it will have major implications on the NBA as a whole.

In other words, think big.

How likely is the deal to happen? Just ask the Warriors general manager, Larry Riley. He has been far from quiet about his intent to deal:

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"We're working day and night and we're hopeful," Riley told NBA.com on Monday night. "But what will not happen is, we won't do something that sets us back just to do a deal. We want to find the right deal, and if we get one of those we'll do it. I don't know what the odds of it are right now."

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Prior to the season, first-year head coach Mark Jackson promised a playoff appearance. Taking that into consideration, it's easy to see why there is such urgency for the underachieving Warriors. With a surplus of young talent, it's likely that they could reel in one of the NBA's big fish.

What's important to note is how close this team already is. Despite losing 17 of their first 29 games, the Warriors have actually been competitive. According to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper, the Warriors were tied, led by a point or trailed by a point with 90 seconds left in nine of their 17 losses. If they had won just four out of those nine, they'd be 16-13.

Names to consider are star combo guard Monta Ellis, young forward Ekpe Udoh and rookie center Jeremy Tyler. With those three players available, it's not too far-fetched to think Dwight Howard could be coming to the Bay Area.