2023 NBA trade deadline: 3 best scenarios for Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have been very disappointing in the 2022-23 season. After beating the Boston Celtics in the 2022 NBA Finals and capturing their fourth title in eight years, they are now 23-24.
The Warriors are currently in the 10th spot in the Western Conference and are very close to falling out of the playoff picture. They will have to make a few moves by the trade deadline if they want to keep competing and make the playoffs.
The 2023 trade deadline is on Feb. 9 and here are a few improvements the Golden State Warriors could make.
Golden State Warriors need size
The Warriors excel at playing small-ball basketball, but they need to add more size to their roster. James Wiseman is the tallest player on the team, but he has been quite disappointing.
The second tallest player is Kevon Looney, who is 6-foot-9. While Looney is great and is averaging career-highs of 6.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, the Warriors need more size.
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Trading with the San Antonio Spurs for Jakob Poeltl seems like a great idea for the Warriors. Poeltl is a 7-1 center who is a great scorer and a rebounder. Considering that the Spurs are in the rebuilding mode, the Warriors could trade James Wiseman for Poeltl.
Secondary ball handler would be a decent addition
The Warriors have several amazing ball handlers on their team. However, adding a ball handler for the second unit would further improve the team and make the Warriors more competitive.
The Warriors rank eighth in bench scoring in the 2022-23 season with 37.4 points per game. Unfortunately, the second unit is usually awful when it comes to keeping up with their opponents and has a +/- rating of -461.
There are several great ball handlers who could improve the Golden State Warriors and help them move up in the standings. One potential target could be Eric Gordon, who doesn't seem to be happy with the Houston Rockets.
By acquiring Gordon, the Dubs could improve their ball handling as well as defense. The 6-3 guard is having a poor season with the Rockets, but there is no doubt that he would thrive with Golden State.
The Dubs need to improve their defense
The Golden State Warriors rank third in scoring with 117.6 points per game, yet they still get outscored by their opponents. The Dubs have the fourth-worst defense in the league, which they need to improve.
Trading for a versatile defender would be the right move for Golden State before the trade deadline. Considering their defense is awful, it's unlikely that they will go far in the playoffs, if they even qualify for it.
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The Warriors could kill two birds with one stone by trading for a big man who is a decent defender, such as John Collins or Myles Turner.