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The Warriors made a few small moves on Thursday at the trade deadline, but they fell short of the bigger deal some had anticipated.
Golden State traded guard Brad Wanamaker to the Hornets for cash, and center Marquese Chriss and money to Spurs for the rights of center Cady Lalanne, according to league sources. These steps were taken to clear two spots from the list in case the Warriors buy someone in the next buyout market. Golden State could also move two-way contract players Juan Toscano-Anderson and Nico Mannion to the 15-player roster left behind by Wanamaker and Chriss.
The No.55 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft outside Massachusetts, Lalanne, 28, has yet to play an NBA game. He is currently a Changwon LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League and is not expected to join Golden State.
Wanamaker, 31, signed a one-year, $ 2.25 million contract with the Warriors in free agency to be Stephen Curry’s main replacement at point guard. But in 39 games, he averaged just 4.7 points on 35.3% shots (21.3% on 3 points), 2.5 assists and 1.7 rebounds. Several weeks ago, Wanamaker was taken out of the Warriors’ regular rotation so Mannion and Jordan Poole could get more minutes.
Chriss suffered a high sprained right ankle with a fractured right fibula at the end of December, and it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to play again this season. Head coach Steve Kerr said recently that Chriss – who becomes a free agent this summer – has started doing some work on the pitch, but he’s “not about to play in a game.”
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Even if Chriss had returned this season, he would have struggled to break through the Warriors’ frontcourt rotation. Golden State franchise center James Wiseman commands significant playing time. The Warriors also want to get Kevon Looney minutes and play Eric Paschall as a small ball center.
After months of speculation that Golden State could move guard Kelly Oubre Jr. on the deadline, he decided to hold him back. According to a league source, the Warriors have turned down several “compelling” offers for Oubre.
That’s a gamble, considering Golden State is now at risk of losing Oubre in free agency and getting nothing in return for him. After a slow start this season, Oubre, 25, has established himself as a reliable two-way wing. In 42 games, he averaged 15.1 points on 43.8% shots (30.6% 3-point shooting), 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1 steal.
According to a league source, Oubre could justify a free agency deal worth north of $ 20 million a year – a pretty high figure for a Warriors team that already has nearly $ 140 million committed to the league. next season at Curry, Klay Thompson, Andrew Wiggins and Draymond Green. But if Oubre is ready to re-sign with Golden State for what should be a sixth-man role after Thompson returns from an Achilles injury, the Warriors may well pay him his market value.
In the short term, Oubre should help Golden State fight for a playoff berth this season. The Warriors enter Thursday night’s game in Sacramento 10th in the Western Conference standings at 22-22. The teams with the seventh to tenth best records in each conference will compete in a play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seed of the playoffs.
Connor Letourneau takes over the Warriors for The San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected]. Twitter: @Con_Chron
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