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Head coach Steve Kerr (L) and governor Joe Lacob of the Golden State Warriors look on during a game between the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs during the 2022 NBA Summer League
The Golden State Warriors have reportedly been one of the most “aggressive” teams since the NBA’s trade season officially got underway on Dec. 15, when nearly 90% of the league’s players became eligible to be moved.
According to ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel, the Warriors have held talks with the Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans and Chicago Bulls with hopes of adding an athletic forward and some frontcourt help ahead of the Feb. 5 NBA trade deadline.
“The Warriors have been one of the more aggressive teams on the market since the start of December, gathering intel on what players are and aren’t obtainable before the trade deadline,” Siegel reported on Dec. 23.
The report added that the Warriors prefer budget-friendly bigs costing less than $15M per season, with hopes of shoring up their rebounding and rim protection.
The Jonathan Kuminga Factor
Any and all Warriors trade plans could be on hold until Jan. 15, when Jonathan Kuminga becomes eligible to be traded. To that end, Siegel noted that talks with the Pelicans and Bulls could be built around a deal centered on the Congolese player, even though neither team views the fifth-year athletic forward as a franchise-level star.
“Both Chicago and New Orleans still hold a level of interest in Kuminga, yet neither organization is completely sold on him being a potential building block for their long-term futures,” wrote Siegel.
It’s worth noting that there’s a Team Option in Kuminga’s contract for 2026-27, meaning the franchise that acquires him could let him walk over the summer. As such, a team like the Bulls or Pelicans could take a gamble on him if it would help them dump salary and receive some draft assets from the Warriors, per several insiders.
Warriors Seeking Athletic Bigs
Siegel’s reporting lines up with insider Chris Haynes’ recent report that the Warriors have identified Dallas Mavericks’ Daniel Gafford, Portland Trail Blazers’ Robert Williams and Brooklyn Nets‘ Nic Claxton as potential trade targets.
All three of those players are rim-running, athletic bigs, a profile that the Warriors are reportedly seeking ahead of the Feb. 5 deadline. As such, it would make sense for them to reach out to the Nets, presumably to check up on Claxton.
“The Warriors are buyers. I was told they are looking for size and athleticism,” Haynes said on last Friday’s “NBA on Prime” telecast. “Rebounding and block shots, they’re in the bottom half of the league. And points in the paint, they are dead last. So they’re looking for an athletic center.”
Haynes said the Warriors “are trying to do everything” to help Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler in their playoff push.
“I was told they are really serious,” Haynes added. “They are trying to do everything they can to get this team back to a championship-contender level.”
There’s another reason for the Warriors to seek a center, one that became even clearer after Draymond Green’s spat with head coach Steve Kerr earlier this week in a game versus the Orlando Magic. According to Andscape’s Marc J. Spears, Green is frustrated with having to play center due to the injuries to Al Horford and second-year big man Quinten Post’s inability to guard his match-ups.
“I’m hearing that Draymond’s a little frustrated with having to guard centers and having the guys that are 40 to 50 pounds heavier than him on a nightly basis,” Spears said earlier this week.
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided’s Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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