Will the Golden State Warriors make any trades before the trade deadline?
The Warriors haven’t made any moves yet. Could it be that the defending champions are satisfied with what they have, or are we about to see a surprise?
It’s February 9th and with that, the NBA’s trade deadline has arrived. We’ve already seen shocking moves made by the Nets duo, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. The former of course made his way to the Dallas Mavericks, while the latter is now a Phoenix Suns player. Of course, there’s still quite a few hours to go and with that, we’re expecting other moves. Not the least of which are those yet to be made by the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors.
Will the Warriors make a move?
You might have noticed that teams around the NBA are ramping up their efforts to upgrade their rosters. It is after all the trade deadline day in the league, so we can expect to see more moves as we make our way to 9:00 p.m. ET. Yet, there is one team that has been glaringly absent from the headlines and that’s the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors. That of course, leaves the question as to whether or not the team intends to bring in reinforcements.
Yet, to hear Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tell it, that’s not going to happen. Speaking during a recent radio appearance, Kerr once again reiterated the idea that he doesn’t anticipate the team acquiring anybody new. “Every year is a little different based on the schedule, but given that we are home this week, [general manager] Bob [Myers] and I will definitely sit down, probably early in the week, just to go over whatever’s happening out there, is something out there or not,” Kerr said. “And he’ll fill me in on that, and then I go back and do my job, and he does everything...I don’t really expect anything to happen. I don’t anticipate anything happening, but you always have to be prepared for it.”
The Warriors way
You’d have to go back to 2020 to find the last time the Warriors made a significant trade, with former No. 1 pick, Andrew Wiggins, arriving via a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Since then, the Warriors really haven’t made any moves, but on the other hand, Kerr admits that he does take time out to talk with any of his players who are named in relation to a potential trade. “I just try to be as transparent as possible with the guys, and then if they have any questions or thoughts, I like to be there to listen to them,” Kerr said. “That’s part of the job. One of the things I try to do every year, even at the beginning of the year, is just remind all of our players the deal in the NBA is you get this amazing job, dream job, and you get paid a lot of money and it’s exciting. And then also the flip side that comes with that, all the things that are tough.”
Do the Warriors need help?
After a rough start to their title defense, the Warriors currently sit in ninth position in the Western Conference with a 28-27 record. Where their starters are concerned, you’ve essentially got a group of win-now veterans centered around Steph Curry, who will be wanting to win back-to-back titles. Alongside them, you’ve also got a group of young and very talented players. That’s all to say, that as much as Kerr seems to be satisfied with his team, it wouldn’t be out of the question if Myers were to strike a strategic deal to help in some way. Though, it is worth mentioning that Kerr concluded by saying he “100 percent” the Warriors have what it takes to defend their title. Either way, we’ll know if the Warriors hold to that line within the next 24 hours. Watch this space.