For contending NBA teams like the Golden State Warriors, trade talks predictably accelerate when the deadline looms just one day away (Thursday, Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. ET).
Even when said team already pulled off the seeming final-piece-to-the-puzzle move that would equip it for a championship run.
Golden State landed Jordan Crawford from the Boston Celtics in a trade last month that also included the disappointing Toney Douglas moving to the Miami Heat.
Crawford was the addition that would ostensibly provide scoring, depth and point-guard proficiency off the bench behind Stephen Curry. He would even run the offense with Curry on the floor, thereby allowing the prolific shooter to operate without the ball as a knock-down three-point assassin.
Alas, Crawford ranks just above the aforementioned Douglas in the total disappointment category.
He currently averages an insignificant 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game on 38.6 percent shooting, not to mention a dreadful 28.0 from downtown. His diminished production since departing Boston extends well beyond the fact that his floor time has been halved as a reserve player.
The normally inclined shooting guard has exhibited those tendencies throughout his short tenure with Golden State. Crawford is also consistently erratic, undisciplined and inefficient. His 1.6 turnovers, putrid 9.0 player efficiency rating and zero win shares—including a negative-0.3 on offense—in just 16.8 minutes of play equates to a straight-up liability.
The Warriors bench—their undoubted Achilles heal—ranks an unsightly 29th in scoring (24.1 PPG) and 30th in shooting (39.1 percent). Crawford is the leader of that unit.
So let’s circle back to this article’s original inquiry.
Does Golden State (31-22)—a legitimate championship contender despite its eighth-place standing in the West—have the necessary chips to acquire another valuable asset?
As this discussion relates to the starting-five, Curry, Andrew Bogut and, to a lesser degree, Andre Iguodala are all essentially untouchable. The second of the two “Splash Brothers” Klay Thompson is no longer available and power forward David Lee is signed through 2015-2016.
This team is also bereft of any significant pieces with expiring contracts this year or next. Kent Bazemore (2014) and Ognjen Kuzmic (2015) and their minimum sub-$2 million deals don’t exactly qualify.
That leaves struggling 2012 first-round pick Harrison Barnes.
The 6’8’’ forward out of North Carolina has compiled just 10.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 29.2 minutes off the bench. His awful 10.5 PER detracts from an otherwise quality 40.9 three-point percentage and 1.8 defensive win shares.
Yet, Barnes’ star potential is still there and opposing teams in need of a dynamic young forward know it.
Rest easy Warriors fans—Marcus Thompson II of the Bay Area News Group reports that general manager Bob Myers “would deal Barnes only in a blockbuster that would significantly improve the roster.”
Head coach Mark Jackson also voiced his support for the immensely talented, but underachieving second-year player. Per the San Jose Mercury News’ Tim Kawakami:
“When you believe in somebody that doesn’t just mean you believe in them when they’re rolling," Jackson said. "The Harrison Barnes that showed up 12 games in the playoffs started the whole year…We believed he had that it in him and I still do. So he will play his minutes, he will get his calls, he will get his touches, and he’s going to be just fine.”
Okay—presumably scratch Barnes off the list of tradable assets. What’s left?
Myers actually has at his disposal two substantial trade exceptions. The respective $9 million (Richard Jefferson) and $4 million (Brandon Rush) figures left over from the Utah Jazz deal do not expire until next summer, according to Sam Amick of USA Today.
So, knowing that Golden State indeed has the requisite pieces in the form of trade exceptions (which don’t necessitate giving up a player in return), will management use them?
Amick posits that Dub City would “only consider using the largest of [its] exceptions for a major impact player.” This is primarily due to the team’s minimal $2 million-and-change worth of luxury-cap flexibility.
Because, otherwise, the Warriors are arguably one component away from genuine title-worthy status.
But knowing that they’ve already taken down the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Miami Heat without said chip, don’t be surprised when the Warriors stand pat.
Thursday’s deadline will very likely come and go with Myers’ finger well off the trigger.
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