SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 3: Golden State Warriors’ Juan Toscano-Anderson (95) and Golden State Warriors’ Jordan Poole (3) have a good time towards Sacramento Kings within the third quarter on the Chase Heart in San Francisco, Calif., on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022. (Shae Hammond/Bay Space Information Group)
SAN FRANCISCO — The times main as much as the NBA commerce deadline have been no completely different for Juan Toscano-Anderson than another participant, with few exceptions: tense. With each anxiety-inducing notification from the ESPN app on his iPhone — duh-nuh-nuh, duh-nuh-nuh — he questioned, Have I been traded?
When Thursday’s midday PT deadline got here and handed, it turned out these issues have been misplaced. As anticipated, the Warriors stood pat, assured within the roster that has propelled them to the second-best report within the NBA with doable reinforcements on the horizon.
Whereas different groups made main strikes — most notably the blockbuster between Brooklyn and Philadelphia that swapped James Harden for Ben Simmons (and different items, together with Steph Curry’s youthful brother, Seth) — the Warriors weren’t alone amongst Western Convention contenders in staying quiet. First-place Phoenix barely altered its roster; the most important commerce within the West got here a day earlier, when Sacramento acquired Damontas Sabonis in an try to will its manner into playoffs for the primary time in 15 years — not precisely the group within the West the Warriors are anxious about.
Within the days main as much as the deadline, Curry stated he hadn’t heard from normal supervisor Bob Myers, as can be the case if the group was anticipating being energetic on the deadline. Like the remainder of the Warriors roster and apparently their entrance workplace, Curry was assured within the group that they had assembled.
“Second within the West, we've a very good report,” Curry stated. “We’ve had some dangerous nights and a few issues we have to get higher at and we perceive we’re not taking part in championship basketball each night time. However we've proven and demonstrated that.”
Nonetheless, coach Steve Kerr reminded reporters gathered in Salt Lake Metropolis after a 111-85 loss to the fourth-place Jazz, who did make a pair minor strikes, to not rule something out.
“You by no means say by no means,” Kerr stated. “I’ve been round lengthy sufficient to know that issues can occur.”
When issues are going nicely for Golden State below the present regime, nonetheless, midseason strikes have been a rarity. The acquisition of Andrew Wiggins got here amidst the worst season of the Kerr period.
Absent a 7-footer, or any true middle apart from Kevon Looney, although, there was some hypothesis the Warriors might goal entrance courtroom depth — a weak spot that was uncovered on their latest two-game swing by Oklahoma Metropolis and Utah. Golden State, regardless of its shock success on the glass early this season, was dominated on the boards in each video games.
After the loss at Utah, Kerr admitted as a lot.
“We did look small on the market tonight,” he stated.
If the Warriors wish to add an enormous man, there are anticipated to be choices out there on the buyout market, although in the event that they have been anticipating to make a transfer there, it could have made sense to dump an end-of-the-roster participant — equivalent to Toscano-Anderson, maybe — in a commerce moderately than eat his wage.
Nonetheless, with Draymond Inexperienced and presumably James Wiseman due again within the coming weeks, the Warriors — who're a lot assured taking part in small, regardless — imagine they'll act as the required entrance courtroom reinforcements.
“We predict these two may help us out greater than anybody else available on the market,” Myers stated.
Commerce deadline wrap
Recapping probably the most important strikes across the NBA (verify again for updates)
- Brooklyn despatched James Harden and Paul Millsap to Philadelphia for Ben Simmons, Seth Curry, Andre Drummand and two first-round picks (2022 unprotected, 2027 protected), in response to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
- Dallas despatched Kristaps Porzingis to Washington in trade for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans, in response to Wojnarowski.
- Sacramento acquired Domantas Sabonis from Indiana for a bundle headlined by Tyrese Haliburton, and Donte DiVencenzo from Milwaukee in a multi-team deal that included Marvin Bagley III, in response to Wojnarowski. The Kings additionally received Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles from the Pistons within the deal, per Wojnarowski.
- In the identical four-team commerce, the Clippers despatched Serge Ibaka to Milwaukee, per Wojnarowski.
- Utah traded injured Joe Ingles in a three-team commerce that introduced again Nickeil Alexander-Walker from Portland and Juancho Hernangomez from San Antonio.
- Portland additionally dealt CJ McCollum to New Orleans for Josh Hart, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Tomas Satoransky and future draft picks, in response to The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
- Phoenix made a pair minor strikes: re-acquiring Torrey Craig from Indiana for Jalen Smith and a future second-round choose, per Wojnarowski, and Aaron Holliday from Washington, in response to Charania.
- Houston acquired Enes Freedom, Bruno Fernando and Dennis Schroder from Boston in a bundle for Daniel Theis, per Wojanarowski. Wojnarowski additionally added that the Rockets are waiving Freedom.
- San Antonio was busy, making 4 separate trades, together with Thad Younger, Drew Eubanks and a 2022 second-round choose for Toronto’s Goran Dragic, who they're reportedly anticipated to purchase out, and a protected first-round choose, per Charania.