The Warriors appear to be doing their due diligence in their potential search for an upgrade at one position of need. <\/p>\n
It’s unclear which position(s) Golden State will look to upgrade before the NBA’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, but with just over four weeks remaining, one position the Warriors have been connected to repeatedly is center. Specifically, Mavericks big man Anthony Davis, who Dallas reportedly called Golden State about<\/a>, and who the Warriors haven’t completely closed the door on pursuing. <\/p>\n ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported in one of the outlet’s recent joint columns<\/a> with other insiders, citing sources, that Golden State has “sniffed around” the center trade market as it continues to get inconsistent play from new veteran big man Al Horford this season.<\/p>\n “Biggest need:\u00a0Al Horford, the Warriors’ biggest offseason addition, has generated a tiny bit of rhythm after two months marked by injury and ineffectiveness,” Slater wrote. “If the surge continues, they could feel less inclined to enter the center market, but league sources said they have sniffed around.”<\/p>\n It’s unclear what other centers the Warriors could pursue in potential upgrades, but Golden State for years has valued centers who can shoot and stretch the floor, which both Horford and second-year big man Quinten Post can do. <\/p>\n One obvious trade piece the Warriors have in a potential deal for a center — or another position — is young forward Jonathan Kuminga, who can be traded as soon as January 15 and appears likely to be dealt<\/a> after falling completely out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotations. <\/p>\n Unsurprisingly, Golden State reportedly has discussed trades involving Kuminga with numerous teams already, but as Slater reports, the Warriors are unwilling to take on negative-value contracts in a potential deal if they extend past this season. <\/p>\n “As expected, they’ve had exploratory conversations with several teams about\u00a0Jonathan Kuminga, but they’ve expressed an unwillingness to take on contracts that extend beyond this season if they view them as negative value deals, sources said,” Slater added. “That’s been an impediment dating back to the summer, when they declined interest in\u00a0Malik Monk\u00a0from Sacramento in sign-and-trade talks for Kuminga.”<\/p>\n There still is time before the deadline for the Warriors to decide which direction they want to go in, but it appears they already are exploring the possibility of adding to a position of need.<\/p>\n