The Indiana Pacers are reportedly moving toward a significant rebuild and are expected to seriously field offers for their stars, including Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.
Sabonis is coming off consecutive All-Star appearances, while Turner is leading the NBA in blocks per game for the second straight year.
The first-place Golden State Warriors (21-4) don’t necessarily have any gaping holes in their roster, but some matchups against traditional centers like Nikola Jokic and Deandre Ayton could be challenging. The health of GSW’s roster also means they’re a team exceedingly capable of taking a big swing via trade.
But, as former front office executive Bobby Marks said on The Lowe Post Podcast, making a trade for Turner or Sabonis is not really Golden State’s style.
“It’s not Bob Myers’ DNA,” Marks said. “It’s not his DNA to do an in-season trade. I know they did one, i think last year, to shed money. But when that dynasty team was rolling, from 14 to 19, they did not make one in-season trade at all. They just kind of roll with who they are.”
If the Warriors decide this year is their championship window, they could put James Wiseman Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody on the table — a package likely more enticing than any other for the Warriors’ bigs. But that appears unlikely given Golden State’s grand plan of building a contender now and for the future.
“I just don’t see it,” Marks said.
In addition to sacrificing the franchise’s future timeline for the present, trading young, cheap players for another big contract likely isn’t feasible. The Warriors are already nearly $40 million over the luxury cap threshold of $136.6 million. Their estimated luxury tax bill, according to Spotrac, is over $170 million. They’re so far into the tax, Marks and Zach Lowe quipped you have to manually calculate how much more GSW would have to pay in penalties because the CBA doesn’t even cover this high.
“Unless it’s like an exact salary match, the owners are going to look at this and be like, ‘Is this worth a gazillion more dollars?’” Lowe said.
Even though it’s unlikely Golden State aims to make a splashy trade for Turner or Sabonis, debating which frontcourt player would help the Warriors more is a revealing thought exercise. Turner is a stronger rim protector and can space the floor, but isn’t known for making quick decisions with the ball — a prerequisite for thriving in GSW’s free-flowing offense. Sabonis, meanwhile, is a terrific playmaker, but may need the ball to fully make an impact and provides less on the defensive end.
In general, trade conversations are expected to heat up across the league next week, as players who signed contracts this past offseason become eligible to be traded on Dec. 15. That still leaves a wide gulf between then and the trade deadline in mid-February.
“I think you’re right about Golden State as far as not being in a rush to do anything,” Marks said. “Figure out where you are come Feb. 10 and if there’s something that makes sense, you do it. If not, you roll with the current roster.”
