The NBA trade deadline is just days away, and the Warriors are expected to make some moves.
Sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference with a 19-24 record, it's clear Golden State needs change, but it's unclear what that change will look like. However, The Athletic's Shams Sarania shed some light on the Warriors' trade deadline approach Monday morning.
“The Warriors are on the other end of the stick. They've lost six of eight games,” Sarania said on Fantuel's “Run It Back.” “We've talked about it. Everybody's at the table except for Steph Curry. So when you think about it, realistically, Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Bozimski, those two guys are the ones that stand out. [and] They want to keep it for a long time. They see [them] Moving forward as part of their core.
“They're going to call up Andrew Wiggins, Chris Paul, and maybe they're interested in a guy like Klay Thompson? I think those are very open conversations for the Warriors. They've got to be open-minded. This is a team that's five games under .500, and that's 12th. There is. So let's see if there are any moves in the next 10 days.”
While Wiggins and Ball have been linked in various trade rumors in recent weeks, Thompson's addition may come as a surprise to some.
Thompson has played his entire NBA career with the Warriors and has been open about wanting to retire from the organization that drafted him with the 11th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
The Splash Pro has struggled through an inconsistent start to the season, but has responded with glimpses of his old self in recent games. The 33-year-old is averaging 17.6 points on 42.1-percent shooting from the field and 38.5 percent from 3, along with 3.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 42 games.
Meanwhile, Wiggins' early struggles haven't completely disappeared. Wiggins is averaging career lows across the board, averaging 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists, 12.3 points on 43.4-percent shooting from the field and 31 percent from deep in 39 games.
His struggles cost him his place in the starting lineup at one point in the season as Warriors coach Steve Kerr experimented with different lineups to find a solution.
While the Warriors have been playing great basketball as a team, they have been on the wrong side of close, down-to-earth contests and blown too many leads.
For now, this is all just speculation, but the Warriors will need to make major changes if they hope to re-enter the NBA playoff picture. And the clock chimes.
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