The Warriors’ eight-game run has changed the tone around the franchise, but it shouldn’t change the target. If anything, Golden State’s surge makes the case even stronger for pushing ahead on a deal for Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr.
After dropping their first three games, the Warriors now look like a playoff team in a crowded Western Conference. They are 8-3, and with no less than seven teams hold an above .700 record right now, they can’t afford to assume this start guarantees anything. That’s why the front office should be willing to part with its 2027 first-round pick to get a Carter deal done.
There is at least some reason for patience. Golden State’s strong form gives the team a little breathing room, and rival clubs could become more interested in Kristaps Porzingis’ contract -- and the subsequent financial relief -- if their season goes south.
But the Warriors also have to keep moving. They reportedly want a trade completed before December 16, which would give them the chance to re-aggregate the acquired player’s contract in another deal before the February mid-season deadline if needed.
The bigger point is that the Warriors should trust what they’re seeing now, not just what they’ve done over the first 11 games. With Carter in the mix, and eventually Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody off long-term injuries, Golden State should be able to stay in the playoff picture instead of treating this hot start like a short-lived burst that won’t last over an 82-game season. That’s why the 2027 pick should be on the table, with the expectation that it lands outside the lottery.
There’s also a case for trying to keep the price lower. Given the financial relief they’d be giving Orlando, the Warriors could argue for Carter using only a couple of second round selections and Porzingis’ contract that can be subsequently bought out.
Still, if Golden State wants to be fair and reasonable -- which in fairness should be the aim in negotiations -- then including the 2027 first-rounder makes sense. They can try for top 10 or lottery protection, but if they believe they’re a playoff team, that shouldn’t be the sticking point.
Carter looks like the kind of player who fits what the Warriors need right away, while also bringing a contract that can be moved later if necessary.
In Other News...
Warriors Face A Draymond Green Question They Never Expected
Draymond Greens name surfacing in trade chatter is the kind of development the Warriors never really expected to be managing this time of year. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Sacramento Kings have interest in Green ahead of the February mid-season deadline, which immediately turns a familiar Golden State cornerstone into an unexpected talking point as the market starts to take shape.
A deal between the Warriors and Kings would come with plenty of hurdles, from fit to contract considerations, and the idea still feels more like a difficult possibility than a clear path forward. Still, the fact that Green is being discussed at all says plenty about how quickly the deadline can force even the most established teams into uncomfortable territory, and there has been no official trade confirmed. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Injury Situation Just Made This Rockets Test Feel Different
The Warriors are heading into the first stop of a five-game road trip in Houston with plenty of momentum, but also a little more uncertainty than usual. Both Golden State and the Rockets are 8-3, and the matchup already had the feel of an early measuring-stick game before the injury report started to pile up for both sides. The Warriors have won eight straight, while Houston is coming off a win over the Denver Nuggets, so this one arrives with real weight even before the ball goes up.
Will Richard is among the names to watch after being listed as questionable with a left thumb UCL tear, and he is part of a broader list of players on both teams dealing with availability concerns. For Golden State, that adds another layer to a road test that was already going to say plenty about where this group stands early in the season. A strong start has given the Warriors some breathing room, but the kind of game they get in Houston could hinge as much on who is available as on who is playing best. [Read more 🡒]
Warriors Backcourt Plans Could Suddenly Revive A Familiar Reunion Talk
The Warriors eight-game surge has only sharpened the sense that this group is back in the kind of position where bigger roster ideas start to surface. After the win over New Orleans, Golden State is once again being mentioned in the same breath as high-end names such as LeBron James and Anthony Davis, which tells you how quickly the conversation can shift when a team starts stacking victories and looking ahead to the next offseason.
Jordan Poole has also re-entered the picture in a way that would have sounded unlikely not long ago, with the former Warrior saying he would be open to a return as a free agent. If Golden State does end up with more salary cap flexibility next offseason, the front office may have more room to explore familiar paths as well as splashier ones, and that is the kind of backdrop that keeps reunion talk alive even when the roster is already rolling. [Read more 🡒]