The Golden State Warriors’ 2022–23 season hasn’t gone as they had hoped, as their 27–26 record has them currently occupying only eighth place in the Western Conference. Even though they are only two and a half games behind the third-place Sacramento Kings, their situation will become more difficult now that Stephen Curry will have to miss some time due to a left leg injury.
Curry picked up the injury in the Warriors win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, and is now expected to be out past the All-Star break, which isn’t a great sign for Golden State. This is a huge blow for the Warriors, as Curry has been their main source of offensive production throughout the season (29.4 PPG, 6.4 APG, 6.3 RPG, 49.5 FG%, 42.7 3P%).
The good news for Golden State is that with the trade deadline right around the corner, they have time to make a move to help them overcome the loss of Curry, but that’s obviously going to be easier said than done. With Curry out, though, let’s take a look at three trade targets the Warriors must pursue if they want to remain afloat in the packed Western Conference.
3. Payton Pritchard
The Warriors have always been looking for more depth at the guard position, and that need will be amplified now that Curry is out and there’s no guarantee that Klay Thompson and Donte DiVincenzo will be able to stay on the court. Now, they almost have to make a move to address this spot, and that could lead them to target Payton Pritchard.
Despite his strong play early on in his career, Pritchard has continued to get more and more phased out of the Celtics rotation as his career has gone on. The writing was on the wall after the C’s traded for Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon within only a few months of each other, but Pritchard’s numbers are down across the board (4.8 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.1 APG, 40.2 FG%) as he averages a career-low 12.6 minutes per game.
Pritchard is a very capable bench scorer who can come in off the bench and run the offense when needed. His defense is a bit lacking due to him being undersized, but he has been a fantastic insurance policy for Boston to have this season. The Warriors have made it clear they are interested in Pritchard, and with Curry out now, they may need to make a bigger push if they want to land him.
2. Mike Conley
A more beneficial move for the Warriors, which might be a little bit easier to pull off as well, would involve trading for the Utah Jazz’s veteran point guard Mike Conley. Conley is putting together another strong season for the Jazz, and with Utah likely looking to sell off some of their veteran pieces, they could try to pull off a deal for Conley.
Conley obviously isn’t the player he once was, but he remains a very strong distributor who can chip in as a secondary scorer as well (10.7 PPG, 7.6 APG, 2.5 RPG, 40.6 FG%). Conley’s playmaking capabilities would help allow the Warriors top scorers behind Curry in Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins to create offense while their star guard is on the sidelines.
The Jazz may not necessarily be in a rush to trade Conley, especially after it was revealed he wouldn’t mind sticking around in Utah, but the Warriors have an opportunity to pick up an impact player who could remain impactful even once Curry returns. Conley is the guard the Warriors have been looking for all season long, and they would be wise to do what they can to make a deal for him here.
1. Kyle Kuzma
Despite being the top option here, trading for Kyle Kuzma may be the most unrealistic proposition on this list. However, the Warriors need an influx of scoring, and Kuzma has been a superb scoring option for the Washington Wizards this season, making him a very solid trade target should Golden State choose to pursue him.
Kuzma has taken a pretty sizable step forward with the Wizards this season (21.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 4 APG, 45.3 FG%) and has been a revelation for a Wizards team that has gotten inconsistent production from their star guard Bradley Beal. With Curry out, the Warriors are going to need someone to step up and replace his lost scoring, and Kuzma could be that guy.
The Warriors also have an unrelated need for more frontcourt depth, and while Kuzma isn’t a center, he is a 6’9 forward who can help out the team’s weak interior defense. Curry should be back at some point, but it’s worth noting that once he does return, this team is still going to need help. They should still trade for a guard, but picking up Kuzma to shore up the frontcourt might be a more pressing need in the long run that could also solve the team’s problems without Curry in the present as well.
Source: https://clutchpoints.com
