SAN FRANCISCO — Both general manager Mike Dunleavy and head coach Steve Kerr appear to be in lockstep in their desire to see what this current Warriors group can do in January before focusing on potential big splashes.
During the Warriors’ most recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers, TNT reporter Jared Greenberg reported on the broadcast that Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy wants to spend the next couple weeks evaluating the team before making “reactionary decisions.”
On the same night, Jimmy Butler requested a trade out of Miami. The Heat suspended him seven games for conduct detrimental to the team and are open to hearing trade offers.
The Butler market, then, could materialize quickly. As in, during the time Dunleavy wants to be taking stock of his team rather than making trade proposals.
Asked about the report starting Dunleavy’s wait-and-see approach, head coach Steve Kerr said he has talked to the general manager about the topic.
“I think that makes perfect sense,” Kerr said.
After beating Philadelphia, the Warriors improved to 17-16. They started the season 12-3, riding hot shooting and tenacious defense before De’Anthony Melton tore his ACL. During the Warriors’ 3-12 slide, they flipped Melton for Dennis Schroder.
That may be the only transaction the team makes for the time being.
“We’ve been up and down this year, but we like the group,” Kerr said. “We like the people we have. We really want to see how we play over the next month. And then just, you know, keep our options open.”
Warriors power brokers have long stated the desire to maximize Steph Curry’s championship window. The clearest way to do that is by getting him immediate help in the shape of a star sidekick before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Although Jonathan Kuminga has blossomed over the past two weeks into a nightly force, he’s still only 22 and won’t be in his prime for several more years.
“Obviously, we’re a game above .500, so we’re not in a position to say, ‘Hey, we’re good enough, let’s stand firm,’” Kerr said. “We have to assess all the options. Players know that. They understand how this league works. For me, it’s let’s see what we can do these next few weeks. Hopefully, we settle into this rotation, start shooting the ball better. I think with Dennis (Schroder) in the mix now, we have a chance to really be a great defensive team again like we were earlier in the year.
If we can put it together, we may not need to do anything. But we definitely need to take this next month and really see what we have.”
Kerr’s comments came before Golden State’s Saturday night matchup against the Grizzlies at Chase Center. Neither team was near full strength.
Curry (bilateral knee tendinitis; injury management) and Ja Morant are out, removing the headlining point guard matchup from the equation. The Warriors are also still without Brandin Podziemski (abdominal tightness) and Gary Payton II (calf strain); Payton got cleared for individual on-court workouts and will be re-evaluated next week.
Beyond Morant, Grizzlies role players Marcus Smart, Santi Aldama and GG Jackson were also sidelined.
Saturday was Curry’s seventh missed game of the season. He had an ankle sprain earlier in the year before his knee issues popped up; he hasn’t played both legs of any back-to-backs since that ailment.
Players must play 65 games to be eligible for end-of-season awards like MVP and All-NBA, meaning Curry can only miss 10 more games on the season for such honors.
