The Warriors got the win Saturday night, but they also got a reminder of exactly why they need another center.
Golden State beat Orlando 126-119 in overtime, yet the Magic controlled the glass in a way that made the Warriors sweat all night. Orlando finished with a 24-3 edge in offensive rebounds, and Wendell Carter Jr. was right in the middle of it.
Carter put together the kind of performance that can make a front office pay attention. He grabbed six offensive boards on his way to 11 rebounds overall, and he added 19 points as Orlando erased a 16-point halftime deficit and pushed the favored Warriors into overtime. Even in a game the Magic lost, Carter looked like the sort of big man Golden State could use.
He was especially effective on the offensive end. Carter went a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, lifting his three-point percentage to 47.8% on the season. That kind of spacing matters for a Warriors team that is trying to sort out the Kristaps Porzingis situation.
Steve Kerr stuck with Draymond Green for heavy minutes at the small-ball five spot, while Charles Bassey played only 11 minutes despite his strong recent stretch. Kerr also appears to believe Green and Bassey can’t share the floor because of the lack of spacing, which only sharpens the need for another stretch five. Carter fits that description and brings another layer Golden State needs: he’s averaging 9.6 rebounds per game.
The result also nudged Orlando closer to what feels like an inevitable bigger move. The Magic are now 2-7, and with the team pushing against the second tax apron, a deal looks more like a matter of when than if.
That’s where Golden State comes in. The Warriors are in a position to help Orlando’s financial situation while addressing their own need for size. A trade built around Carter and Porzingis would give Golden State a starting-caliber center and provide the Magic with needed relief now and going forward once the Latvian agrees to a significant buyout.
Golden State would probably have to attach a pick or two to get it done, but after Saturday night, the fit looks even clearer.
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Orlando, though, did not let the moment turn into a runaway. Franz Wagner and Jamal Cain helped keep the Magic within striking distance and made the game feel competitive well into the second quarter, a reminder that even on a night when Curry reaches a rare shooting milestone, Golden State still has to finish the job against a team willing to hang around. [Read more 🡒]
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For Warriors fans, that is the part that keeps the conversation alive. Thompson is under contract with Miami now, but he also has a player option for next season, which leaves the door open just enough to keep the speculation going. Even with the move already made, his connection to Golden State has not gone away, and this latest visit only reminded everyone how hard it is to fully close the book on a player who helped define an era. [Read more 🡒]