There may be one NBA Trade Deadline move that would salvage the season for the Golden State Warriors.
At 17-20, the Golden State Warriors have to officially be concerned about the season. This is no longer a slow start. This is not a rough stretch. There's a very strong argument to be made that the Warriors are not only bad right now, but broken. The Warriors are currently outside the top 10 in the Western Conference standings and aside from Stephen Curry, there's very little the team can hang its hat on any given night.
At nearly the midway point of the season, something has to change very soon if the Warriors are going to be able to salvage the season. With the NBA Trade Deadline less than a month away, it may end up being the only saving grace for Golden State.
However, finding a deal that makes 100 percent sense for the Warriors could be difficult, Thankfully, there is one move that could end up saving the Warriors' season.
The 1 move that would save the Golden State Warriors' season
Heading into the NBA Trade Deadline, I don't think it would be wise for a team like the Warriors to make a trade just for the sake of making a trade. What the Warriors need most is a player who would take offensive pressure off of Curry on a night-to-night basis, youth to inject into this aging core, a veteran player who can emerge as a consistent second-best player on this team, and, ideally, a star-caliber player that can help bridge the Curry build to the next one in the next 2-3 years.
The good news for the Warriors is that there's a player who checks all of those boxes available on the trade market. He's also one of the most likely names to be moved ahead of the trade deadline. Therefore, if the Warriors are serious about salvaging the season and remaining in the championship picture over the next few seasons, Pascal Siakam should be the team's priority heading into the trade deadline.
It's been reported that the Toronto Raptors are interested in a return for Siakam that includes Moses Moody and/or Jonathan Kuminga from the Warriors. Golden State shouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger if that's the asking price; it's the only realistic way to save the season, and perhaps the future with this core.
It could be costly but it's a deal that the Warriors should be willing to make. Here's what a deal could look like:
Of course, this could just be considered the framework and there could be a player or two added to each side to find the right balance. But, essentially, the Warriors should be willing to move Wiggins, which is reportedly a direction they're at least open to, and a couple of their young pieces, along with a draft pick if necessary, in order to land a piece that could not only keep them in contention this season but also one that could carry them to the next era of Warriors basketball.
A core of Curry, Siakam, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green should be able to compete with the best of the best in the NBA. And you never know, perhaps the injection of Siakam into the team would completely rejuvenate the rest of the veterans.
The addition of Siakam may exactly be what the Warriors need to save their season. Quite frankly, it may very well be the only plausible move that would move the needle for the franchise.