With losses stacking and a chance of making a run at the playoffs unobtainable, the NBA trade deadline provided the most chatter around the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season.
The Warriors moved a total of six players out of their rotation leading up to the trade deadline. All six players were significant contributors in some form throughout Golden State’s season.
Two of the Warriors leading offensive players, D’Angelo Russell and Alec Burks are playing for new teams. Russell averaged 23.6 points per game, shooting 43.0 % from the field and 37.4 % from long distance. On top of scoring, Russell was Steve Kerr’s chief ball-handler.
Burks played a flexible, yet consistent offensive role off the bench for Kerr, scoring a career-high 16.1 points per game. Burks had two 30-point or more scoring nights in 48 games with the Warriors. Throughout the season, the veteran swingman handled the basketball for Kerr at times as well.
Without Russell and Burks, Draymond Green and Ky Bowman will slide into the primary ball-handling roles in Golden State’s rotation.
Another critical piece for the Warriors, Glenn Robinson III, is now playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Robinson III started nearly every game for the Warriors, missing only six games in an overall injury-filled season for the rest of Golden State’s roster.
From the frontcourt, both Omari Spellman and Willie Cauley-Stein are in new cities. Cauley-Stein, a former starter, and Spellman, a key bench piece will push Golden State to hit the reset button on the entire rotation.
As busy as the trade deadline was, the Warriors will have to find a way to make up for six players whom all averaged 15 or more minutes per game. Russell, Burks and Robinson III each registered 29 or more minutes per game.
The newest Warrior, Andrew Wiggins, will take over a significant role in Kerr’s offense. After Wiggins, Golden State made a flurry of moves following the deadline to fill out the rest of the rotation.
In the Warriors’ first game after the trade deadline, Anthony Slater of The Athletic reported Bowman, Damion Lee, Wiggins, Green and Marquese Chriss would start against the Los Angeles Lakers.
Warriors starting lineup tonight: Ky Bowman, Damion Lee, Andrew Wiggins, Draymond Green, Marquese Chriss.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) February 8, 2020
After the starting lineup, Kerr will have to test who can step up and fill out the bench unit. Rookies Jordan Poole and Eric Paschall could be in line for more minutes off the bench. Kevon Looney and Alen Smailagic could be tapped to bolster the bench frontcourt.
New members of Golden State Zach Norvell Jr, Jeremy Pargo and Juan Toscano-Anderson could add to the mix. However, all are unproven still at the NBA level.
Golden State’s new depth chart following the trade deadline could look something like this:
PG: Ky Bowman — Jeremey Pargo — Zach Norvell Jr.
SG: Damion Lee — Jordan Poole — Zach Norvell Jr.
SF: Andrew Wiggins — Eric Paschall — Juan Toscano-Anderson
PF: Draymond Green — Alen Smailagic
C: Marquese Chriss — Kevon Looney
Kerr will have the rest of February to figure out what combinations flow together until March when the Warriors’ two-time Most Valuable Player could return from injury.
Stephen Curry’s been progressing through his broken hand rehab with reports pointing towards a potential March return. A healthy version of Curry could solidify Golden State’s rotation for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.