The Golden State Warriors are currently the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference with a 30-22 record. With center Andrew Bogut back in the lineup and getting healthier by the day, the team is looking to make a serious playoff push. Offseason additions Jarrett Jack and Carl Landry have worked out well, but could the team look for additional help before the Feb. 21 trade deadline?
Golden State Warriors trade rumors: Teams want Harrison Barnes
With the Warriors making a playoff push this season, the team may look to add a little something before the trade deadline. Golden State has a lot of assets, but would they be willing to part with their good young talent?
The Warriors’ Outlook
The team is pretty much set for next season. Richard Jefferson, Andris Biedrins, Brandon Rush and Landry all have player options for the 2013-14 season -- only Landry has been a major part of the rotation thus far -- and they could all pick them up. Outside of Landry, Jefferson has added some veteran savvy to the team, Biedrins has all but disappeared and Rush suffered an ACL tear back in November 2012.
More: Golden State of Mind
The biggest concern for the Warriors moving forward is the ability to bring back Jack, who is playing out the last year of his contract at $5.4 million, per Story Tellers Contracts. General manager Bob Myers will have to get creative as the team is set to pay out nearly $73 million for the 2013-14 season.
Teams want Harrison Barnes in trade talks
Rumors have popped up about the Warriors inquiring about New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon, per Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group. Gordon is averaging 16.4 points per game this season, but has major injury concerns and a big contract. In the offseason Gordon signed a four-year, $58 million offer sheet with the Phoenix Suns that the Hornets matched.
The asking price for Gordon is believed to be Barnes and Klay Thompson, and that is a price deemed too rich for the Warriors' blood, per Thompson. Barnes is just a rookie and Thompson a second-year player. Both have displayed major upside, as they average 9.3 and 16.4 points per game, respectively. It would be hard to justify a deal for Gordon involving both young Warriors.
Adding a big man to back up Bogut has also been a priority for Myers. The team has been linked to Timofey Mozgov of the Denver Nuggets and DeJuan Blair of the San Antonio Spurs, per Thompson. Mozgov is in the final year of his rookie contract and is making $3.1 million this season; the qualifying offer to retain his rights is $3.9 million. Blair is also in the final year of his deal and is making just over $1 million this season. The price for either guy wouldn't be very high, but what would the Warriors be looking to part with to obtain either of them?
What’s the gist?
The Warriors are a young team that should be looking to get better internally. Making a trade before the deadline could a move to free up room to re-sign Jack in the offseason. With plenty of young assets, the Warriors no doubt will be fielding a lot of calls before the deadline.
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