In today’s Dub Hub:
- The San Francisco Standard’s Tim Kawakami reports that the Warriors were “reasonably close” to acquiring Kawhi Leonard at the NBA trade deadline.
- In an article by The Athletic’s Nick Friedell, Kristaps Porzingis discusses his future with Golden State.
- Lakers’ Luka Doncic suffers left hamstring injury in 139-96 blowout loss against the Thunder.
It was well known that the Golden State Warriors were looking to make a big splash at the NBA trade deadline this past February.
At the time, a potential move felt like a necessity more than a luxury. Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL tear left a massive void, stripping the roster of a reliable secondary star. Meanwhile, the Jonathan Kuminga situation lingered in the background, with a growing sense that a change of scenery could be best for both sides.
All of it pointed toward a major move. As it turns
out, the Warriors didn’t just explore the market — they came close to landing one of the biggest names possible.
According to Tim Kawakami of The San Francisco Standard, Golden State was “reasonably close” to acquiring Kawhi Leonard from the Los Angeles Clippers at the February trade deadline.
Via The San Francisco Standard:
It’s the opposite: Lacob and Dunleavy have signaled for months that they have every intention of charging after at least one more star this offseason.
To that point, multiple league sources indicated this week that the Warriors were reasonably close to trading for Kawhi Leonard last February — apparently with much of the deal terms generally agreed to — before the Clippers ultimately decided to pull out of the talks.
Leonard wasn’t the only target either. The Warriors also had well-known interest in a potential move for the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, reinforcing just how aggressive the front office was in its pursuit of another superstar.
However, none of those plans came to fruition. Instead, Golden State pivoted to Kristaps Porzingis — a move that didn’t carry the same headline-grabbing weight but has worked out well in the meantime, providing size and scoring to a depleted Warriors roster.
Still, the intent was clear. As Golden State heads into the offseason, expect them to pursue another superstar to support Steph Curry and chase another championship.
For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, April 3rd:
Warriors News:
Latest NBA offseason buzz: Warriors all-in moves? Billy Donovan leaving Bulls? Free agency chatter | Clutch Points
Early talks surrounding Porzingis’s projected contract point in the direction of a deal somewhere in the $18 million to $24 million per year range on a 1+1 type of contract involving a player option. As for Green, his $27.7 million player option holds the key to the Warriors’ offseason.
If he is willing to opt out and take a pay cut to help the team, possibly signing for something in the $16 million to $18 million per year range, Draymond would allow the Warriors to have their full $15 million mid-level exception and operate well below the luxury tax entering the offseason.
Kristaps Porziņģis uncertain on his Warriors’ future as Steph Curry nears return | The Athletic
What’s also exciting for Porziņģis is the comfort level he has found with Rick Celebrini, the vice president of player health and performance. Porziņģis recently drew attention for saying that Celebrini was the “GOAT” in his field, an opinion he doubled down on.
While Porziņģis remains unsure where he will land this summer, he admits his strong connection with Celebrini will factor into his decision.
“That’s definitely (something) I have to take into account,” he said. “I believe I’m in incredible hands here. And that means something. When you have a really strong staff with somebody like me, maybe that’s had some injuries throughout their career … to be in the best hands, it makes a difference for me to stay out there healthy.”
Steve Kerr breaks down the difficulty of defending without fouling under modern officiating
NBA News:
Must-see TV? The alarming data behind the NBA’s star outage for national games | Yahoo Sports
All in all, Yahoo Sports determined there were 220 national TV games with at least one star on both sides of the matchup.
Of those 220 games, what would you guess is the number of times that both teams suited up their full complement of stars?
Would you guess 200?
Maybe 150?
It’s less than 100. Way less.
Turns out, only 72 of the 220 games featured all of the stars on the rosters.
That’s 32.7%. Less than one-third of the national TV games.
Said another way: About two out of three national TV games will have at least one star player in street clothes.
Lakers’ Luka Doncic suffers hamsting injury in 45-point loss vs. Thunder
In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:
Team with Victor Wembanyama beats team without him
The Warriors were left with nine players: three two-way contracts, one player who began the year on a two-way contract, one player who began the year playing in Greece, one second-round rookie, and the veteran trio of Draymond Green, Seth Curry, and Brandin Podziemski.
It was a staggering juxtaposition, especially with MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama, in all his glory, standing on the other side. It was a 7’4 superstar against two unknowns in a trench coat, who still probably weren’t 7’4 combined.
A post to end the week:
Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.
