The Golden State Warriors hit rock bottom after losing to a skeleton Memphis Grizzlies team 116-107 on a nationally televised Martin Luther King Day matchup.
Not even the return of Draymond Green from an indefinite suspension could resurrect the flailing Warriors who are now 1.5 games outside the play-in tournament with their 18-22 record.
It could be the final straw that will lead to major changes after the February 8 trade deadline. Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus revealed what will it cost the Warriors to acquire Toronto’s two-time All-NBA forward Pascal Siakam.
“According to sources, the Raptors are looking for a return similar to what they got from the New York Knicks for OG Anunoby (RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley)—young players who can fit around Scottie Barnes,” Pincus wrote on January 16.
The Warriors and the Raptors have previously held trade talks surrounding Siakam but no deal is imminent yet.
“The buzz all year has the Warriors minding their budget, but the team is struggling and still wants to keep the Steph Curry era competitive,” Pincus wrote.
“With Chris Paul’s expiring contract (technically $30 million non-guaranteed for 2024-25) and pieces like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the Warriors could make a credible run at Siakam.”
Draymond Green Calls Out Warriors After Deflating Loss
Green’s solid play off the bench — seven points, seven rebounds and four assists — in his first game since his indefinite suspension for striking Phoenix center Jusurf Nurkic in the face on December 12 went for naught.
He called out the whole Warriors team after the loss.
“You just gotta have pride in yourself as a man that I’m not gonna let my guy score,” a disappointed Green told reporters after the loss. “Our closeouts [were] too soft. Our rotations were too slow. So there’s just no pride. Until every guy takes pride in themselves, and wants to stop the guy in front of him, we’ll suck.”
“We can’t guard nobody. So until we guard we’ll lose.”
The Warriors porous defense allowed the Grizzlies to hit 20 3s and made 32 of 40 free throws as they resorted to a fouling spree. Their 19 turnovers worsened their problems.
Andrew Wiggins’ Trade Value
Wiggins remained to be the top Warriors candidate but the problem is he has zero trade value following his struggles this season.
“Wiggins is seen by some observers as the most likely Warrior to be traded in the wake of Golden State’s 18-21 start. He’s in the first season of a four-year, $109 million deal — which is generally regarded as a quite reasonable contract in today’s NBA marketplace – but the challenge for the Warriors has been creating a market for him after Wiggins’ downturn in production over the past season and a half. Wiggins has started three games this month after moving to a reserve role for 11 games but is shooting a career-worst 29.5% from 3-point range,” NBA insider Marc Stein wrote in his substack newsletter on January 14.
A change of scenery, perhaps a return to Canada for the Canadian Wiggins could resurrect his career. He could serve as a salary ballast in a potential Siakam trade that could include Moses Moody.
