The Golden State Warriors are not eligible to sign a possibly ideal buyout option
Speculation is ramping up ahead of the February 8 trade deadline, with the Golden State Warriors set to be an active player thanks to their current 18-22 record and 12th-placed standing in the Western Conference.
Yet while the trade market is heating up, potential roster changes can also extend past the deadline in the form of the buyout market. The Warriors currently have 14 contracted players, allowing them to sign a free agent should they wish.
The Golden State Warriors would be ineligible to sign one of the best potential buyout players post trade deadline
The Warriors could look at the buyout market post trade deadline, though they’d likely have to showcase significant improvement for the front office and ownership to commit even more to the league’s highest payroll.
Speaking of the payroll, Golden State’s standing as a team over the second apron means they’ll be limited in who they’re able to sign in the buyout market. According to the new CBA rules, the Warriors won’t be able to sign anyone who was making more than the mid-level exception ($12.2 million this season).
That would make them ineligible to sign some of the bigger name, more difference-making players that could be bought out. At the top of that list right now is Gordon Hayward, should the Charlotte Hornets not find a trade for the veteran forward before the deadline.
Hayward is having a solid season in Charlotte, although their 8-30 is far from where the franchise hoped to be. The 33-year-old is averaging 14.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 31.9 minutes this season, while shooting 46.8% from the floor and 36.1% from three-point range.
Hayward’s no longer an All-Star calibre player post injuries, but he could be one of the better buyout market players that have become available in recent years. Alas, the Warriors will have to sit and wait to see which other team may snap him up should he become available.
They could alternatively trade for Hayward before the February 8 deadline, with a Chris Paul-for-Hayward deal having previously been proposed last month.
Warriors vs. Grizzlies NBA expert prediction and odds for MLK Day (Bet Golden State)
Golden State is in unfamiliar territory, sitting in 12th place in the Western Conference after losing three of its last four games. The Warriors will visit Memphis on Monday and Utah on Wednesday to finish a four-game road trip before hosting five straight to finish the month. Can Golden State bounce back in the return of Draymond Green from suspension?
Memphis had a three-game winning streak earlier this month, but the Grizzlies have been decimated by injuries, losing star Ja Morant for the season and guards Marcus Smart and Desmond Bane for six weeks. Memphis has lost two straight at home, falling to the Clippers and Knicks.
Draymond Green: Green is coming off a 16-game suspension at a time when Golden State’s defense needs him the most. The four-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection and former Defensive Player of the Year can help bolster a unit that has allowed 133.5 points over the last four games and has struggled out of the gate, yielding 70-plus points four times in the last six contests. The Warriors rank No. 22 in overall scoring defense this season, giving up 118.2 points.
GG Jackson II: With the Grizzlies’ mounting injuries, the 19-year-old rookie had to play 27 minutes off the bench in Saturday’s 12-point home loss to the Knicks. Jackson turned in a career-high 20 points on 9-of-14 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and a pair of blocks. As Memphis takes a look at its young talent for the rest of the season, Jackson will have an elevated role.
Memphis was building some momentum with the return of Morant and a stretch of four wins in five games earlier this month, but injuries have taken their toll. With a wrench thrown into its rotation, the Grizzlies couldn’t cover as large home underdogs against the Clippers and Knicks in their last two games.
While the Warriors are dealing with injuries in its backcourt with Chris Paul and Gary Payton II out multiple weeks, they’re in a good bounce-back spot against the shorthanded Grizzlies and the return of Green should help Steve Kerr’s club on and off the court. Lay the points with Golden State.
Leave a Reply