The Karl-Anthony Towns for Julius Randle trade on September 27th was the most recent major move this season, but it’s unlikely to be the last. According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, there are at least two teams this season who are seen as likely to make a trade before February’s deadline: the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
“With Golden State now 9-2 with Stephen Curry playing like an MVP candidate in perhaps his final true shot at contention, the Warriors’ plans between now and February’s trade deadline will be closely monitored around the league,” wrote Bontemps. “Scouts and executives have tabbed Golden State and Houston as the two teams most likely to make a splash ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. Both have a combination of young players and draft picks to make deals, whereas most of the other teams expected to be in that mix have one or neither at their disposal after the many big deals made in recent seasons.”
The NBA Western Conference is more stacked than ever before, and teams will need to make a move if they want to get an extra step ahead of the competition. So far this season, there aren’t any major players on the trade block, but as the deadline approaches, trade activity will no doubt spike across the league.
As arguably the NBA’s most surprising team this season, the Warriors are in a pretty good spot right now, and they want to maximize this momentum by adding to the roster and making their team deeper than ever across all positions. After replacing Klay Thompson with Buddy Hield, their offense has been revitalized, but they can still get better with upgrades to the frontcourt.
Potential trade targets for the Warriors could include centers like Jonas Valanciunas, Deandre Ayton, Clint Capela, or other bigs who can add size, rebounding, and shot-blocking on the interior. Any trade with the Warriors will have to exclude their main core (Curry, Draymond, and Kuminga), but they have other means to make a trade that will enhance their frontcourt for years to come.
Similarly, the Houston Rockets are also looking to make some upgrades, although they already have a franchise center in Alperen Sengun. In the case of the Rockets, they aren’t particularly interested in parting with any of their young players. If they can make some moves for the cost of some future picks, it might be worthwhile for the Rockets, but they could also elect to stand PAT and hold firm with their current roster as-is.
There’s also a scenario where these teams help each other. If the Rockets offer veteran big man Steven Adams, the Warriors might be willing to make a deal and send a package of their own that includes a pair of veteran role-players.
Only time will tell how these teams chose to tweak their rosters before February’s deadline, but something is bound to happen with the Western Conference as tight as it is. One or two moves, no matter how minor, could make the difference between several spots up or down.
In the case of the Warriors in particular, the pressure is on them to maximize these next few years and ensure that Stephen Curry can go out as a winner. Whether they have to give up their young players or draft picks, the Warriors will not hesitate to make a move they think will make them better, and it will surely make things much more interesting down the stretch of the season.
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