At 20-20 on the season, the Golden State Warriors are perfectly average. For Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, that reality is unacceptable, although neither of them are willing to put pressure on the Warriors front office to make a desperate bid.
In theory, the Warriors could make a blockbuster move ahead of the NBA trade deadline to add a second star next to Curry, although doing so would mean mortgaging what little future they have left. The franchise is unwilling to take that risk and would rather make a small move.
The Dubs have a very clear weakness in their frontcourt, which is currently led by Green, Kevon Looney, and Trayce Jackson-Davis. All three are solid rebounders and defenders, but none of them offer a scoring punch, and the brunt of the offense is on Curry, Andrew Wiggins, and Johnathan Kuminga.
In an effort to keep their young core intact, the Warriors have actively made some smaller trade inquiries after being linked to Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram this season, and Paul George and Lauri Markkanen before that.
"The Warriors have continued their due diligence on the trade market and inquired about potential frontcourt upgrades, including Nikola Vucevic, John Collins, Jonas Valanciunas, and Robert Williams, league sources told HoopsHype," reported Michael Scotto. "Conversely, the chances of Golden State acquiring previously reported wing targets such as Jimmy Butler and Cam Johnson have decreased."
Collins, Valanciunas, and Williams are all on tanking teams and would come rather cheap. The Bulls would like to trade Vucevic, but he and LaVine are on more expensive deals and are playing well enough that Chicago can demand a bit of a larger return for their stars.
If the Warriors can land a solid frontcourt player before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, their playoff chances will improve, but the burden of going on a run will remain on Curry, who will always be the face of the franchise.
