The Golden State Warriors endured a quiet trade deadline. The franchise reportedly had been exploring options to improve the roster following a difficult first half of the season. However, the only move was a deal that sent veteran guard Cory Joseph to the Indiana Pacers, thus opening a roster spot.
According to Shams Charania, the Warriors were negotiating to obtain Alex Caruso from the Chicago Bulls. Their attempts were unsuccessful, and the defensive-minded guard will remain in the Windy City for at least the remainder of the season.
“Sources told me that the Warriors had some conversations on Alex Caruso (Thursday),” Charania said. “That’s a player they have value for, but the Bulls have had a high asking price on him. The Bulls were at least open for conversations across their roster, including on Caruso.”
Caruso would have been a strong fit for the Warriors, either as part of their starting unit or coming off the bench. Nevertheless, Golden State’s willingness to let the trade deadline pass clearly indicates their faith in the current roster to turn the season around.
Latest on the player whom the Warriors had trade conversations on today and the strong market developing for Spencer Dinwiddie: https://t.co/MygAseuFjE
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 8, 2024
Of course, the Warriors can still look to upgrade their team via the buy-out market. Yet, as a second-apron franchise, they will be limited to adding players that were earning less than the taxpayer mid-level exception as part of the new punitive rules in the Collective Barganing Agreement.
Still, there should be multiple talents available, and it will be interesting to see how Mike Dunleavy Jr. pivots to round out the rotation.
