The Golden State Warriors have gone from looking stuck in the mud to looking like a team with real momentum, and that shift has opened the door to trade chatter.
After starting the season 0-3, the Warriors have ripped off eight straight wins and now sit at 8-3 in fourth place in a crowded Western Conference. What once looked like a team that might have trouble even hanging around the top 10 has turned into one of the league’s hottest groups.
There’s still help on the way, too. Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody are expected back from injury early next year. But even with those reinforcements penciled in, the Warriors could still look to the trade market to add more.
One name in the middle of that conversation is Kristaps Porzingis, whose situation still needs to be sorted out. If the Warriors decide to move his salary, that could create room for a bigger swing.
On NBA Today, Bobby Marks pointed to two New Orleans Pelicans players who could come into play: Herb Jones and Trey Murphy.
He explained: “They can go out and make a move. Certainly, it’s a matter of whether you’re looking to trade Porzingis by himself or combine other salary and maybe take back a player making $25 million?
“Listen, we’re going to pay attention to New Orleans throughout this year, if this team is sitting at the bottom of the standings, and if they play like they did last night, they’re going to be sitting at the bottom, to see about the availability of Trey Murphy, Herb Jones, and players like that.
“They do have three first-round picks, though they would have to add additional salary if they’re targeting a player like Trey Murphy.
“The big question is whether they want to sacrifice some of that cap flexibility they’ve stored for next season.
“But when you’re 8-3 and you have that Steph Curry championship window open, you’re always looking to improve the roster, even if it takes away a bit of flexibility for next year.”
The Warriors’ recent surge has changed the mood around the team completely. Early on, even Stephen Curry looked worn down on the bench. Over the last two weeks, though, the energy has flipped, with rookie Yaxel Lendeborg giving the group a lift and Curry rolling back the clock.
Now there’s a real buzz in the Bay that this could turn into something special. The Warriors know they still need more to make a serious run, but with Curry playing like this, the idea of pushing in for a bigger move suddenly makes a lot more sense.
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