The Golden State Warriors have yet to find their footing in the 2022-23 season. The defending NBA champions have struggled mightily on the road this season, going 6-18 away from the Chase Center, which has led to a 23-24 record overall.
The franchise is doing a delicate balancing act, trying to compete for titles in the twilight of the Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green era while ushering in younger talent. The dual timeline sounds good in theory but has yet to prove virtually impossible to execute successfully on the court.
The Warriors aren’t getting the contributions they had hoped they would from the younger guys, which has led to inconsistencies on the court. Some major changes could be on the horizon as well with Thompson and Green eligible for extensions.
Owner Joe Lacob has shown he is willing to pay whatever it takes to have a winning product on the court, but even he has a line he can’t cross. The Warriors could be approaching that line, making this deadline an important one as it could be the last run the Curry, Thompson and Green make as a trio.
Maximizing that group should be the No. 1 focus for the franchise, especially with the younger guys not yet living up to expectations. If a deal presents itself that the Warriors can address some of their needs with established players, they will think long and hard about it.
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One potential deal could be struck with the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte is in on the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes, as they currently have the third-worst record in the NBA. They also possess the kind of players that the Warriors covet to upgrade their roster.
In a hypothetical deal put together by Bobby Marks of ESPN, the Hornets would send P.J. Washington, Jalen McDaniels, and Mason Plumlee to the Warriors in exchange for James Wiseman and Moses Moody. Wiseman and Moody were considered untouchable during the offseason, but Golden State is in need of a shake, and they could have some value, especially to a rebuilding team.
Washington, McDaniels and Plumlee would be major upgrades to the Warriors’ frontcourt. Washington would provide spacing in the frontcourt as someone that can play alongside any other big man given his skill set.
McDaniels would provide a lot of what Golden State is missing from Otto Porter Jr. departing in free agency last offseason. Plumlee offers insurance behind Kevon Looney as Steve Kerr cannot count on Wiseman to provide consistent production.
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A deal of that magnitude would significantly improve Golden State’s chances of competing again this season. The value of the young players will only decrease if they are glued to the bench, so turning them into three useful rotation pieces would be a good piece of business by Bob Myers and the front office.
