Golden State’s head coach, Steve Kerr, arrived at the arena in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night with a specific rotation of players in mind. However, just under an hour prior to tip-off, he had to rapidly alter his plans.
The shake-up stemmed from the impending trades involving Andrew Wiggins and Dennis Schroder, who were no longer part of the Warriors’ roster. The Warriors and the Miami Heat were working to finalize a significant trade that would bring Jimmy Butler to Golden State. This last-minute development compelled Kerr to devise a new strategy on the fly. Following the Warriors’ narrow 131-128 loss to Utah, Kerr expressed the need for the NBA to reevaluate how it handles trades during the season.
Kerr proposed that the league might want to consider aligning the trade deadline with the All-Star break to mitigate the chaos that ensues when players are traded right before games. “I think it would be beneficial to avoid situations where athletes are being dealt just before a match and coaches have to contend with the emotional aspects while trying to win,” he commented. He acknowledged the challenge of such a suggestion, considering the complexities involved.
The official trade deadline for the current season is set for 3 p.m. Eastern on Thursday. During this period, all trade deals require league approval, which adds logistical pressures since players need to transition to their new teams promptly.
On game day, Golden State had only ten players eligible to play. The absence of Wiggins, Schroder, as well as Lindy Waters III and Kyle Anderson due to pending trades, along with injuries sidelining Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, and Moses Moody, left the Warriors thin on the court. Remarkably, all ten available players suited up, including Jackson Rowe, who made his NBA debut with 14 minutes of play, and fellow two-way signee Pat Spencer, who also clocked 14 minutes—surpassing his aggregate playing time from his last eleven games combined.
Kerr described the unusual atmosphere in the locker room before the game as bittersweet. “Our players were gearing up to compete, and out of nowhere, we found ourselves saying our farewells,” he remarked.
The Warriors weren’t alone in facing player shortages due to trade negotiations, as other teams also grappled with similar predicaments on Wednesday. As the trade deadline loomed, many clubs were expected to be without their newly acquired players for the following games as the transition period unfolded. “It would certainly help if we could push the deadline back or designate a couple of days prior as off days,” Kerr reflected. “But obviously, organizing that is complex. These days are undeniably challenging.”
