Warriors rumors: 3 buyout candidates to address silent trade deadline
The Golden State Warriors were a natural source of trade deadline speculation after their rocky start to the season. Despite all the noise, the Warriors stood pat. No Andrew Wiggins trade. No Chris Paul trade. There was one marginal maneuver — Cory Joseph to the Indiana Pacers for a second-round pick — but that won't impact the Warriors' final outcome.
Maybe the simple approach was the right approach after all. The Warriors have won four straight. Draymond Green is back to his wrecking-ball ways on defense, Andrew Wiggins is generally trending up, and Jonathan Kuminga's ascent has boosted Golden State's athleticism on the wing. Also, CP3 is due to return soon, which should elevate the Warriors' second unit.
Even with the positive momentum, however, Golden State is 25-25. That places 10th in the West, which is not where a Stephen Curry team should place. The Warriors need to be on high alert for potential avenues to improvement. One such avenue is the buyout market. The Warriors didn't land the splashy names, Spencer Dinwiddie or Kyle Lowry, but a few potential impact pieces remain available.
3. Warriors can add 3-point shooting with Joe Harris
The Detroit Pistons officially waived Joe Harris after the deadline. Harris arrived via offseason trade and was essentially a non-entity in Monty Williams' rotation, which is notable. Williams' lineup choices in Detroit have been experimental, for lack of a better term, so it's notable that an established veteran never saw the floor. Harris made 16 appearances for the Pistons, averaging 2.4 points and 0.8 rebounds on .359/.333/.500 splits in 10.6 minutes.
It's not great when your 3-point shooter isn't averaging at least three points per game. Harris has been decimated by injuries over the last couple of seasons. Once billed as the NBA's most efficient spot-up shooter, it's now an open-ended question as to whether or not Harris can ever hold down an NBA role again. He's a great fit for most contenders on paper, but the game isn't played on paper and the Pistons never gave Harris much of a chance to prove his mettle.
The Warriors should take interest on a veteran minimum contract in free agency. Harris shot 42.6 percent from deep on 4.5 attempts with the Brooklyn Nets last season. He has eclipsed 47 percent and led the league in 3-point percentage twice (2018-19 and 2020-21). So, there is a strong track record to bet on. If the Warriors put Harris in low-pressure situations and allow him to slowly build back a rhythm, he could pay dividends.
Golden State won't land any guaranteed rotation pieces on the buyout market. Every player left has been bought out for a reason. That said, Harris is a 6-foot-6 wing who has a legitimate chance to out-shoot 99 percent of the NBA when he's right, so if ever there was a smart buy-low gamble for a Steve Kerr team, it's him.