A lot of eyes — especially from Warriors fans — will be on the Golden State Warriors with the 2024 NBA trade deadline just less than two days away. Golden State still finds itself on the outside looking in of the play-in tournament picture. With the Warriors still sitting at 12th in the Western Conference at this juncture of the season, it's worth wondering if a trade will even be enough to salvage the year. Still, the franchise owes it to Stephen Curry — who despite being 35 years old, is still playing at an extremely high level — to continue fighting until the wheels completely fall off.
Perhaps one blockbuster deal could give the Warriors a punching chance to at least compete for a postseason spot by the time April comes around. The two players that have been mentioned in most Golden State trade talks are Chris Paul and Andrew Wiggins. However, the organization reportedly doesn't want to see some sweeping changes and would instead prefer to wait for everyone to come back in full form.
ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Siegel recently dished out some intel on Golden State's plans at the deadline.
“Although there is a desperate need to change the way things have been going, the talk surrounding the Warriors is that the players and coaches don't want to see a significant change, sources said. Instead, they simply want and need everyone to be healthy again.”
Still, a lot of things can still change within the next two days before Thursday. If the Warriors decide to do business, here are the best trades they can make at the NBA trade deadline to help out Stephen Curry.
Trade with the Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are one team that should be selling at the deadline considering they don't really have any hopes of contending for a title with their current core. Even with Zach LaVine's season-ending injury, Chicago reportedly does not intend to blow it up at the deadline and are instead focused on making a run for the playoffs. As such, the team reportedly wants to keep DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Alex Caruso past Feb. 8.
If the Bulls front office changes their mind within the next 48 hours and comes to the realization that a postseason berth won't really do much for their future moving forward, the Warriors could consider pouncing for a deal that would land them Alex Caruso and Nikola Vucevic.
Golden State reportedly inquired with the Bulls on Caruso. Meanwhile, Vucevic would help address the team's need for more size up front.
Why a trade makes sense for both the Bulls and Warriors
With that, the Dubs can send a package of Chris Paul, Moses Moody, a 2026 unprotected first-round pick, and a 2028 first-round pick (likely with protections) to Chicago to acquire Vucevic and Caruso. This package could be enticing for the Bulls primarily because of the picks, which could be high selections considering Golden State may be in rebuild mode themselves at that point. In addition, Paul is essentially on an expiring deal, while the 21-year-old Moody is a nice young player they can develop as they embark on this rebuild.
Meanwhile, Steve Kerr has gone on record on how much he loves Alex Caruso. He brings a lot of tenacity and energy on the defensive end and has also become an efficient outside shooter. Most importantly, he is a terrific culture setter for any team he lands on.
Vucevic, on the one hand, is the perfect big man to slot in Kerr's offense. He can score on the low block, shoot from the outside, and is a great passer for a big man. Both teams could benefit in a big blockbuster like this before Thursday.
Trade with the Brooklyn Nets
Another team that could potentially sell at the deadline is the Brooklyn Nets. They're currently at 11th in the Eastern Conference and are likely headed to a lottery finish by the end of the season. Brooklyn has a solid crop of veterans it could trade at the deadline. The Warriors could consider discussing a deal with them if they feel the need to make some changes ahead of the deadline.
Why a trade makes sense for both the Nets and Warriors
The Warriors will reportedly only do a trade if it makes them better. Therefore, they should go after Mikal Bridges and even potentially acquire Nic Claxton in the process. Golden State could send a package of Andrew Wiggins, Moses Moody, Gary Payton II, and two first-round picks to Brooklyn to acquire Bridges and Claxton.
The Nets have a high asking price for Bridges, but considering the future picks are coming from Golden State, they could potentially be high draft selections. Moses Moody is also solid project to develop as the Nets embark on their rebuild. Wiggins is in the midst of his worst season yet, but he has slowly been trending up as of late. If he returns to the form he had in the 2022 NBA Finals, he could be a player they could eventually move in the future for more assets.
As for Golden State, Bridges would be a major upgrade over whatever this current version of Wiggins is. He would give the Warriors another reliable scoring option and function as one of the team's primary defenders.
Meanwhile, Claxton would provide more athleticism and rim protection in the Warriors frontcourt and help them match up against the bigger teams in the NBA. This trade allows the Warriors to make an upgrade in the wings and in the frontcourt while also keeping Chris Paul to man the second unit.
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