The Golden State Warriors have been linked to several players ahead of the trade deadline, including Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks. Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has revealed whether the franchise is going to make some noise in the trade market.
In an appearance on NBC Sports Bay Area’s Warriors Pregame Live show on Monday night, Dunleavy was asked by Bonta Hill about his plans on making a Jimmy Butler-type trade before the deadline.
“We’ll look to do stuff that makes our team better, but I wouldn’t bank on that type of move. I mean, to get a guy like Jimmy Butler, to have the improvement we did from being a .500 team to 23 and 8 or whatever it was. I mean, that’s going to be pretty unrealistic,” Dunleavy said.
The GM added that the team will focus on what they can control, like limiting their turnovers per game. It has been Golden State’s biggest problem this season, in addition to the lack of size.
Warriors Linked To 3 Centers
While Golden State Warriors fans dream of acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo, the realistic target would be a solid, athletic center. Al Horford hasn’t worked out, while Quinten Post and Trayce Jackson-Davis have their own strengths and weaknesses.
NBA insider Chris Haynes reported over the weekend that the Warriors are eyeing three centers who could be available on the trade market. They are Nic Claxton of the Brooklyn Nets, Daniel Gafford of the Dallas Mavericks and Robert Williams III of the Portland Trail Blazers.
Golden State’s biggest trade asset is Jonathan Kuminga, who has had an up-and-down campaign so far. He’s also not eligible to get traded until January 15, though he has been previously linked to teams like the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.
Claxton, Gafford and Williams are all athletic and solid defensively. Claxton likely has the highest value, while Williams poses the most risk due to his injury history. Gafford, on the other hand, could have the most suitors, as reported by Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal.
Green-Kerr Incident Mars Warriors’ Win
The Golden State Warriors are back to a .500 record at 15-15 after beating the Orlando Magic on Monday at the Chase Center. They used a big run to start the fourth quarter to break the game open and earn the 120-97 win.
While the team celebrated the victory, an incident occurred between Draymond Green and Steve Kerr during a timeout with 8:31 left in the third quarter. Things got so heated that Green had to leave the bench and head back to the locker room to cool off.
The former Defensive Player of the Year returned to the sidelines in the fourth quarter, but Kerr didn’t put him back in the game. It was the second straight game where Green’s night was done early. He was ejected in the second quarter of Saturday’s win over the Phoenix Suns.
Fans have the right to worry about Green and Kerr, but they have known each other for more than a decade. According to NBC Sports Bay Area, both downplayed the incident after the game and urged the media to move on.
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