SAN FRANCISCO – With the trade deadline more than a month away, coach Steve Kerr said he wants to see what this roster can do over the next month to assess what the Golden State Warriors have before making a potential move.
“I have spoken [general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr.] about that and I think that makes perfect sense,” Kerr said before the Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 121-113 on Saturday. “We’ve been up and down this year, but we love the group, we love the people that we and we really want to see how we play over the next month and then keep our options open.
“We’re not in a position to say, ‘Hey, we’re good enough. Let’s just stand firm.’ We must assess all options. [But] For me it’s just a matter of seeing what we can do in the coming weeks and hopefully we can settle into this rotation and start shooting the ball better.”
Kerr’s comments come as trade rumors swirl around the franchise. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Thursday that Jimmy Butler has indicated he wants to be traded and that Butler is open to trade destinations such as the Phoenix Suns, the Warriors, Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. The Heat suspended Butler on Friday for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team.”
After trading for Dennis Schroder in mid-December, Dunleavy said the organization will continue to aggressively pursue trade opportunities to improve the team. But he has said since training camp that it would take a franchise-altering deal to part with many of the team’s young assets, such as Jonathan Kuminga or Brandin Podziemski.
The Warriors, who have now won three of their past four games, want to maximize title contention for Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but also prepare Kuminga, Podziemski and Moses Moody for their futures. The Warriors also like the depth they have, knowing they have to maintain the health of Curry and Green throughout the season. Curry had to sit out Saturday’s game, the first of back-to-back home games, with tendonitis in his knees, but Kerr said the franchise star won’t sit out every back-to-back game.
“Not necessarily for the rest of the year, but during this period where the knee tendinitis has been a factor,” Kerr said. “The training staff is convinced that it makes the most sense at this time not to play him back-to-back. But that could change down the road.”
Kerr could also have a healthier roster soon. Gary Payton II, who was absent with a calf injury, has been cleared to resume on-field practices and will be re-evaluated in a week. Podziemski remains out with a tight feeling in the abdomen.
After starting the season 12–3, the Warriors lost 12 of their next 15 games. However, the Warriors are well into Sunday’s game against the Sacramento Kings. They shot 60.9% in a 139-105 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, leading to Saturday’s win over the Grizzlies. And in that home win, Andrew Wiggins scored 24 points and Schroder added 17.
“I think with Dennis in the mix, we now have a chance to really be a great defensive team again,” Kerr said. ‘Like we were early in the year. And if we can bring it together, maybe we don’t have to do anything [trade-wise]. But we definitely need to take this into next month and really see what we have.”
