Warriors should stand pat at NBA trade deadline, reassess options in summer

With Zach LaVine, Luka Doncic and De'Aaron Fox off the board, the Warriors are running out of options on stars they could have traded for before the Feb. 6 deadline. 

Furthermore, ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Sunday that Jimmy Butler is unwilling to sign a long-term extension with the Warriors if he lands with the Bay Area franchise in the coming days. The latter news confirms that the Warriors are out of the running for Butler, making the Suns the favorite to acquire the All-Star.

So, where do the 11th-seeded Warriors (24-24) go from here? 

It's not a bad ploy to stand pat at the trade deadline, hold onto all their assets and reassess their options in the offseason. The West is much too strong for the Warriors to realistically clinch a playoff berth, let alone make a deep postseason run. As such, they may have dodged a bullet by not depleting their assets for Butler or LaVine, the latter of whom they had reported interest in acquiring. 

The strategy also allows the Warriors to reassess the futures of youngsters Jonathan Kuminga, Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody. All three have shown flashes of star potential but haven't been afforded enough opportunities, or playing time, to prove they are worthy of long-term investments. The next few months give the Warriors a rare chance to unleash them and assess their fit next to Stephen Curry and Co.

The Warriors could also go the nuclear route of tanking the season to improve their lottery odds. They are slated to pick 10th in the 2025 NBA Draft but could slide into the top five by racking up losses. 

Would that strategy be unfair to Curry and Draymond Green? Yes and no. Curry, who turns 37 in March, has already said he's more concerned about the Warriors' long-term future than their ability to win pronto. Those comments alone should encourage the Warriors to embrace a down year and regroup in the 2025 offseason.