Golden State has pulled out the knives.
The Athletic, a local U.S. media outlet, reported on the Golden State Warriors’ trade direction on Wednesday (June 12). According to the report, “Golden State is approaching the market with the attitude that all players except Steph Curry are tradeable. They have talked to Pascal Siakam, and Zach LaVine does not appear to be a target.”
“The Toronto Raptors would be interested in Jonathan Cuminga or Moses Mudiay in return for Siakam,” the report added.
Golden State looks to be on the verge of an upset. The Warriors are currently 17-20 and in 12th place in the Western Conference. That’s not a playoff spot, let alone a play-in tournament spot.
Worse, they’re playing poorly. Instead of getting better, the Warriors are getting worse. Ace Curry has gone from an early-season explosion to a recent slump, and the Warriors’ slump is getting longer. Klay Thompson has been up and down all season, and Draymond Green has been suspended for violent behavior. Veterans like Andrew Wiggins and Kevon Looney have been terrible all season.
The only positive has been the play of rookie Brandin Pawlowski and younger players like Kuminga and Moody. But they’re not doing enough to turn the team around.
To make matters worse, Golden State recently lost Chris Paul to a fractured left hand that will keep him out for at least a month. The loss of Paul’s bench leadership is devastating. Paul’s injury is likely the reason for Golden State’s rapid decline.
The first position Golden State needs to address is the second option to back up Curry. They desperately need a proven offensive option to help Curry, who has been fighting a lonely battle all season. The best option would be a player at the forward position who doesn’t overlap with Green and Thompson.
That’s why Siakam is being mentioned. Siakam is Golden State’s biggest need right now. He’s capable of averaging 20+ points per game, and unlike Curry, he’s a mid-range, underneath-the-basket player. He can synergize with Curry on offense.
In addition, Siakam is a great defender, so he’ll also help on the perimeter. It’s clear why Golden State is targeting Siakam.
What’s surprising is that the Warriors have placed all of their players on the trade list. This means that Thompson and Green are no exception. Of course, the chances of Thompson and Green being traded are close to zero. But Golden State’s attitude is surprising. Golden State has always viewed Thompson and Green as no-touchers.
It seems like a change is not an option for Golden State, but a necessity. We’ll see what the Warriors decide.