The Golden State Warriors’ regular season has come to a close as they finished seventh in the Western Conference standings. Golden State will now face off against the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night in the Play-In tournament as they look to advance to take on the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs. While the Warriors are preparing for another potential deep playoff run with Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green leading the way, they could also be looking into the future as who they could sign or trade for to better their roster for next season. Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler (10) and guard Stephen Curry (30). © David Gonzales-Imagn Images © David Gonzales-Imagn Images Of course, the Warriors were able to turn this season around after landing Butler from the Miami Heat at the NBA trade deadline but they were linked to multiple players outside of Butler ahead of the deadline. One player who was rumored to be a trade target for Golden State was New Orleans Pelicans superstar forward Zion Williamson and the former first overall pick may be on the move in the offseason. New Orleans hired former Detroit Pistons star Joe Dumars as their new president of basketball operations after firing David Griffin on Monday. With the change, it has been reported that Pelicans ownership will mandate Dumars to trade away Williamson in the offseason, which could work out well for the Warriors is they decide to go after him. Of course, the Warriors have some intriguing players that could work well in a deal for Williamson including upcoming restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga. Despite this, Golden State did not show a ton of interest in the 24-year-old forward at the deadline despite the rumors, and for obvious reasons. Williamson has struggled with injuries during his six seasons in the NBA, including playing just 30 games this season. Because of this, many teams, including the Warriors, may not want to risk trading for the star forward but when Williamson is healthy, there is no doubt that he is one of the best forwards in the league. Golden State’s playoff outcome could play a role in their pursuit of Williamson in the offseason and it is expected that they could show interest in him once again.
