The Golden State Warriors are heating up at just the right time-and that surge might just cool off their trade deadline activity.
Winners of 10 of their last 14 games, the Warriors have climbed to four games above .500 for the first time all season. It’s a meaningful benchmark for a team that’s spent much of the year searching for consistency. And while the recent stretch has come during a softer part of the schedule and a long home stand, the way Golden State is handling business is finally starting to resemble the team fans expected to see months ago.
But here’s the thing: this team still has real questions to answer-on the court and in the front office.
Jonathan Kuminga’s trade request looms large. While the forward has shown flashes of high-level potential, his desire for a change of scenery adds a layer of distraction the Warriors could do without. Resolving that situation-whether by finding a deal or mending fences-feels like a necessary step, not just for chemistry but for clarity.
Beyond that, the Warriors’ offense still leans heavily on the star power of Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler. As good as those two have been, the lack of a consistent third option-someone who can create shots, relieve pressure, and keep the offense flowing-has been evident all season. That’s where a trade could make a real difference.
Names like Michael Porter Jr. and Trey Murphy III have been floated as potential targets. Both would bring scoring punch and floor spacing, but neither would come cheap. Acquiring either would likely cost the Warriors valuable draft capital, and that’s where general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. has a tough decision to make.
Does he push in some chips to maximize this season’s window? Or does he ride the wave of recent success and trust that the current group can keep building momentum?
Right now, the team’s improved play is giving Dunleavy a legitimate reason to stay patient. With De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford back in the lineup and contributing, the roster is starting to resemble the one envisioned in the offseason. There’s a case to be made that the early-season struggles were more about injuries and a brutal schedule than anything fundamentally broken.
Still, anyone who’s watched the Warriors closely this year knows that banking on this current formula to hold up in the playoffs-especially against the top-tier teams in the West-feels risky. The flashes have been there, but the consistency hasn’t. And in a seven-game series, the margin for error shrinks fast.
So while the Warriors' recent surge might buy the front office a little more time and flexibility, the need for reinforcements hasn’t disappeared. A quiet deadline might be justifiable, but it won’t silence the questions about whether this group has enough to make a real run.
The next few weeks will be telling. If Golden State keeps stacking wins and climbing the standings, Dunleavy might feel validated in standing pat. But if the inconsistencies creep back in-as they have all season-he may find that the best path forward still involves making a move.