Warriors show restraint on trade market while leaning on Horford’s emergence
warriors-show-restraint-on-trade-market-while-leaning-on-horfords-emergence
The Golden State Warriors remain open to parting with multiple future first-round picks and either Jimmy Butler or Draymond Green if Milwaukee ever makes Giannis Antetokounmpo available, but team officials are not adopting that same aggressive posture for any other player currently on the market.
League sources told ESPN’s Anthony Slater that the club has repeatedly checked on New Orleans wing Trey Murphy III, yet Pelicans executive Joe Dumars has signaled no interest in moving a member of the franchise’s young core. Internally, Golden State has also discussed Brooklyn forward Michael Porter Jr. and a potential reunion with Miami’s Andrew Wiggins, but those concepts have cooled, and one source said the Warriors have no plans to re-engage the Heat on Wiggins.
Future over short-term fixes
Since Butler’s season ended with an ACL tear, front-office conversations have shifted toward long-range planning, according to Slater. That change in approach makes a trade involving forward Jonathan Kuminga less likely unless a significant upgrade becomes available.
Curry trusts front office
Stephen Curry said Wednesday he is kept informed only when a proposal gains real traction. “Mike [Dunleavy Jr.] and the entire front office, I’m sure, are making calls,” Curry told reporters. “If there’s something material, something real, we have conversations about it. That’s our process; it’s always been that way.”
Horford settles into starting role
Free-agent addition Al Horford, who battled health issues early in the season, has been a fixture since Christmas and was moved into the starting lineup last week. Head coach Steve Kerr said Wednesday he intends to keep the 40-year-old at center as long as Horford’s 24-minute restriction remains in place, noting he values the veteran’s fit next to Green in the frontcourt.
Horford has posted a positive plus/minus in seven straight games and in nine of his last 10, stabilizing Golden State’s defense while adding passing and floor spacing on offense.
Source: Hoops Rumors
