Fatal flaw Warriors must fix at 2025 NBA trade deadline
Yesterday at 09:22 AM
It wasn’t long ago the Golden State Warriors kicked off the 2024-25 season with a hot 12-3 start. However, fast forward to today, and the team is only sitting at the ninth seed in the Western Conference with a mediocre 19-18 record.
By now, Warriors fans and front office should have realized that this team at its current state isn’t enough to win it all. As a result, some changes need to be made in order to address the roster’s glaring holes. Among the roster’s biggest problems, the Warriors must fix their lack of offensive help surrounding Stephen Curry.
Fortunately, the Bay Area squad has a great chance of doing so. With plenty of trade assets at their disposal, it’s inevitable that the front office will be aggressive as the trade deadline approaches. Moreover, with the availability of potential superstars like Jimmy Butler, the front office needs to pull the trigger.
Youngsters fail to take the leap
A major reason why the Warriors have deflated in the ongoing 2024-25 season is the lack of help surrounding Curry. There were expectations for Moses Moody, Brandin Podziemski, and Jonathan Kuminga to take a leap. However, they aren’t playing up to par. After a hot start, Moody is only putting up 8.0 points per game on 44% shooting from the field overall. It also doesn’t help that he suffered a mild knee injury, based on a report by Sports Illustrated.
On the other hand, Podziemski has been the most disappointing. He is going through a sophomore slump, averaging only 8.0 points per outing while only hitting 40.4% of his shots from the field and 29.5% from beyond the arc. His numbers were a slight decrease compared to his stellar rookie season.
Kuminga has been a bright spot among the youngsters. He is averaging a career-best 16.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, a serious ankle sprain will sideline the 6-foot-8 forward for a couple of weeks, throwing a wrench into his supposed breakout season.
At the start of the season, the Warriors were counting on its youngsters to step up. However, since they’ve disappointed, the offensive load for Curry has been too heavy to carry.
The Warriors have been hit with an injury bug
Aside from an ankle injury to Kuminga and a patellar tendinopathy to Moody’s knee, the Warriors have been dealing with all sorts of injury concerns. Earlier into the season, the team already lost the services of defensive lynchpin, De’Anthony Melton, who they acquired during the offseason. The absence of his defense has left a glaring hole in the Warriors’ rotation, which probably played a role in the simmering of their hot start to the regular season. Although they’ve tried to replace Melton by trading him Schroder, the German guard has yet to fully acclimate into the Warriors system.
Another key player who fell to injury was Lindy Waters. Prior to an awkward landing, Waters was hitting a 47% clip from downtown. But after his return from injury, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard is only shooting 33% for the season.
Moreover, the biggest injury hit the Warriors at the wrong time possible. Curry has reportedly been dealing with a knee injury, according to Sports Illustrated. Although he’s still the best shooter in the world, his usage could be taking a toll on the 2022 NBA Finals MVP. At 36 years old, a lackluster supporting cast won’t be enough for the Warriors, especially when he’s currently at less than 100%.
In fact, they quickly were demoted from legitimate Western Conference contenders to Play-In Tournament candidates as they slid down to the ninth seed. It’s not an ideal situation for a team that’s gunning for a championship.
Potential trade for Jimmy Butler
Warriors receive: Jimmy Butler ($48.8 million)
Heat receive: Andrew Wiggins ($26.3 million), Dennis Schroder ($13 million), Jonathan Kuminga ($7.6 million)
An option the Warriors can do to salvage their championship hopes is to finally land a third star. With Jimmy Butler becoming disgruntled in Miami, it looks like the Warriors have a golden opportunity to address their pursuit of star power and offensive help. Couple that with the Warriors’ young assets, which can surely entice a rebuilding team like the Heat, it looks like a win-win situation for both teams.
The addition of Butler should immediately elevate the Warriors back into title contention. In the ongoing 2024-25 season, Butler is averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. Pairing him alongside the best shooter in the world should be an interesting sight to see. But more importantly, he should easily reduce the scoring burden on Curry.
On the other hand, Miami will get a major future building block in Kuminga. The 6-foot-8 forward easily fits the Heat’s timeline. Moreover, solid veterans like Wiggins and Schroder should be solid rotational pieces that will ease the franchise’s rebuilding transition.
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