The Golden State Warriors have dominated their way to the league’s best record, having lost only one game all season. That does not mean they are not looking to improve. Recently, the bench unit of the Warriors has struggled, in part due to the injury to Harrison Barnes having changed the rotation. A huge part of that has been the struggles of Marreese Speights who was a crucial part of the team last season. This year, Speights has been unable to contribute as his shot has mostly been off. That reportedly has the Warriors looking to trade for a stretch four (via CSNBayArea.com):
The Warriors hope Speights finds his shot, because they’re lacking that bench scorer who can light up defenses. Ezeli can score but does not typically wreck a defense. Speights at his best scores in bunches, and his range makes him the harder matchup.
Warriors general manager Bob Myers, like most executives, doesn’t talk trade-possibility specifics. But he surely realizes that when Curry, Thompson and Green are off the floor, scoring comes with considerable toil and strife. The front office is studying the trade market, because if Speights can’t find his form, and soon, the Warriors will seek out another stretch four, somebody Walton or Kerr can call when they need a scoring punch.
Obviously, the Warriors are in no dire need of help. The team is just fine as it is and it is still the overwhelming favorite to win the title. However, they are still being proactive in making sure that they put out the best team possible. With several teams (including the Spurs and Cavaliers) starting to turn the corner, any advantage that the Warriors can get is important. Whether the Warriors have enough assets that they are willing to part with in order to add a stretch four is another question, entirely.
