Warriors trade news: Steve Kerr and Mike Dunleavy Jr. come to surprising conclusion on current roster

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. are in sync regarding the team’s approach ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline. Kerr supported reports about Dunleavy’s strategy of evaluating the roster before making any moves.

During Thursday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, TNT’s Jared Greenberg reported that Dunleavy plans to assess the team’s performance over the coming weeks. Kerr echoed this sentiment in a pregame press conference on Saturday before Golden State faced the Memphis Grizzlies.

"I've talked to Mike about that, and I think it makes perfect sense,” Kerr said. "We've been up and down this year, but we like the group, we like the people we have and we really want to see how we play over the next month, and then just keep our options open."

"For me, it's 'let's see what we can do at least these next few weeks.' Hopefully, we settle into this rotation, start shooting the ball better."

The Golden State Warriors entered Saturday’s game with a 17-16 record. After starting the season 12-3, they have gone just 5-13, with defensive struggles leading to blown leads and difficulties closing out games in December.

Steve Kerr also pointed out the importance of Dennis Schroder, whom the Warriors acquired from the Brooklyn Nets last month. Schroder is still adjusting to his role with Golden State, particularly in playing alongside Steph Curry.

The Warriors have been linked to several players this season, including Jimmy Butler. However, The Athletic reported that the Warriors aren't bought in on Butler as some people within the organization prefer keeping Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga.

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Warriors linked to Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic

Will Golden State make a move for Nikola Vucevic? (Photo: IMAGN)

Some of the current flaws of the Golden State Warriors are a lack of secondary scoring and size. Andrew Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga are good second options behind Steph Curry, but they don’t address the team’s need for a center.

According to The Athletic, Golden State has shown interest in Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls. Vucevic fits well with the Warriors as one of the best offensive big men in the NBA. While his defense may not be on par with some of his contemporaries, he can post up and even hit shots beyond the arc.

Vucevic's salary is also easier to match compared to Jimmy Butler’s $48 million salary for the 2024-25 season. He’s owed $20 million this season and $21.4 million next season. He’s averaging 20.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season, shooting 55.9% including 44.0% from 3-point range.