The Warriors sent James Wiseman to the Detroit Pistons and brought back fan favorite Gary Payton II in an ensuing deal with the Portland Trail Blazers on a busy NBA trade deadline day.
Ahead of the NBA trade deadline, the Warriors sought but didn’t acquire a power forward/center capable of spacing the floor and making an impact in the paint.
For now, JaMychal Green’s job as backup “big” is safe.
They still do not have a rim protector, and there’s always a desire for shooters. Which is why, with the NBA buyout market preparing to open, the Warriors are planning a shopping expedition in hopes of finding someone who can provide a semblance of rim protection and/or deep shooting on a part-time basis.
Which means they’ll stroll right past such likely buyout options as Russell Westbrook, John Wall, Terence Ross, and their good friend Patrick Beverley.
Here, listed alphabetically, are five possible options the defending NBA champs might be willing to consider:
Dewayne Dedmon
Yes, he’s still in the NBA. The 7-footer from USC has bounced about the league for a full decade, representing seven different teams, including four games with the Warriors in 2013. He spent the past three seasons in Miami, playing in 113 games and averaging 14.4 minutes per.
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At 33, Dedmon is not much for spacing the floor on offense but his 7-foot-4 wingspan and willingness to battle in the paint are enough to put him on the board of any team seeking a veteran big for a few minutes per game – even if only as insurance.
Gordon Hayward
He’s not a rim protector, nor does he bring muscle to the middle of the action. But he’s a 6-foot-7 floor spacer who offers the kind of high hoops IQ that fits well on a team like the Warriors.
Hayward, 32, has been a starter his entire career, but it might be time to move to a reserve spot if it means an opportunity for a deep NBA playoff run. Shooting only 29.4 percent beyond the arc on a bad Hornets squad, that number likely will rise on a quality team. He’s a good player on the far side of his prime who could come available.
Serge Ibaka
His prime was impressive, including four times leading the NBA in blocks per game and three times named to the All-Defensive first team. That was eons ago, though, and he has been a spot-duty big man for two teams over the past couple years.
Ibaka is 33 – slightly older than Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, slightly younger than Stephen Curry – but rarely played this season in Milwaukee. At 6-foot-10, he is a career 35.9-percent shooter beyond the arc. His last game with more than two blocks was in January 2021 as a member of the Clippers.
Kevin Love
There was a time when the certain members of Golden State’s front office were infatuated with the UCLA product’s rebounding, 3-point shooting and passing. At 34, he’s not protecting anybody’s rim.
But the 6-foot-8 forward remains a very credible rebounder and 3-point shooter (35.4 percent this season, 7.2 percent for his career) and would offer the value of spacing.
Love has not been a full-time starter since 2020-21 and he’s averaging 20.0 minutes per game in Cleveland, but the Warriors are not looking for heavy minutes.
Nerlens Noel
A lottery pick in 2014 (No. 6 overall to New Orleans, then traded to Philadelphia), this rangy former high school phenom never quite reached the potential expected coming out of Kentucky. He never has been much of a scorer but does have some credibility as a rim protector – he was third in total blocks two seasons ago with the Knicks.
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Injuries have been an issue, but Noel is only 28 and still has some bounce to go along with his 6-foot-11 height and 7-foot-4 wingspan. He’s valuable enough to be an insurance policy on a playoff roster.