There seems to be some semblance of life for the Golden State Warriors after their impressive come-from-behind win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday. Stephen Curry showed once again why he is the most clutch player in the NBA. Klay Thompson is slowly beginning to regain his form.
Steve Kerr's internal changes such as sending struggling forward Andrew Wiggins to the bench and starting rookie Brandin Podziemski have already produced results. Rookie Trayce Jackson-Davis has also seen increased playing time over the last two games and could become a fixture in coach Kerr's rotation moving forward.
Nonetheless, the Warriors still find themselves in 11th place in the West. Given how stacked the conference is, Golden State may still need to shake things up.
There is still a ton of basketball left to play this season. While the Warriors navigate this next stretch without Draymond Green, who received a league-sanctioned suspension, Warriors GM Mike Dunleavy is evaluating Golden State's options ahead of the trade deadline.
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Dunleavy noted that while the front office still believes in their current group, the Warriors will remain open to the idea of a shake-up at the trade deadline if the opportunity presents itself.
“But hey, six weeks from now, the (Feb. 8) trade deadline, maybe something comes up that makes more sense and we do something. But this is a group that the core guys have been there are capable of doing it.”
Trade for Lauri Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen has been floated as an ideal trade target for the Warriors. Due to his size, athleticism, and ability to stretch the floor, the Jazz forward seems like a perfect fit in Golden State. However, finding a deal that is amenable to both sides seems challenging.
The Warriors would ideally want to minimize the win-now assets they're sending back to Utah. But at the same time, Markkanen solves a lot of their problems and gives the Warriors a legitimate second star who can alleviate some of the offensive load off Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
The question now is, what package can the Warriors offer to the Jazz for Lauri Markkanen? Surely, Utah would want to get its hands on at least two of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, and Brandin Podziemski. Heck, even throw Trayce Jackson-Davis into the mix.
A package of Kuminga, Moody, and Gary Payton II for Markkanen's $17.2 million price tag this season makes the salaries work. The Warriors will certainly need to add their 2026 and 2028 first round picks and even add pick swaps to sweeten the pot for Danny Ainge.
Is that enough for Utah? Will the Jazz ask for Podziemski in that deal as well?
On Golden State's end, is Lauri Markkanen worth mortgaging basically its entire future? If the Warriors want to maximize Curry's prime to give them the best chance of winning, yes it is.
A core of Curry, Thompson, Green, Markkanen, Wiggins, and Chris Paul should give the Warriors a great chance to compete for a title. However, while that core is great, Golden State is still sacrificing a ton of depth with that trade. One of those six go down, and the Warriors' depth is significantly depleted. Kuminga, Moody, and Podz have become fixtures in Kerr's rotation, and they add youth, athleticism, and energy to this aging core.
Nonetheless, the Warriors won't find another generational superstar like Curry anytime soon. Regardless if they have the picks or not, Golden State won't be competing for championships anymore once Curry retires.
Trade for Pascal Siakam
The Warriors should face the same issues if they look to trade for Pascal Siakam from the Toronto Raptors. However, the structure of a deal will be different with Siakam's heftier $37.8 million contract.
A package involving Andrew Wiggins, Kuminga, Moody, and Podziemski makes the salaries work. But is a deal like this worth it on Golden State's end?
Like Markkanen, Siakam provides the Warriors with a legitimate scorer who thrived as the second option when the Raptors won their championship in 2019. Since then, the Cameroonian has become an All-NBA and All-Star-caliber forward and has since assumed a leadership role in Toronto.
However, the Raptors are looking like they're headed toward rebuilding around Scottie Barnes, which leaves Siakam out of the picture. With Pascal Siakam's deal expiring this summer, it makes sense for Toronto to trade him rather than lose him for nothing in case both sides can't agree on a new contract.
With Golden State, the Cameroonian should have more opportunities to produce at an effective and efficient clip due to the spacing the Warriors offense provides. However, trading for Siakam also comes the risk of losing him this summer in case he signs elsewhere.
Are the Warriors willing to risk their future for a potential one-year rental? These are things Mike Dunleavy will need to consider should Pascal Siakam become their target at the trade deadline.
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