Scott Polacek@@ScottPolacekFeatured Columnist IVFebruary 4, 2025

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The Golden State Warriors traded for Dennis Schröder earlier this season, but he could once again be on the move if the Western Conference team is able to land a superstar ahead of Thursday’s deadline.

“What helps them a little bit for tomorrow is Dennis Schröder is now available for trade,” ESPN’s Marc J. Spears said of Golden State’s quest for a star during an appearance on Tuesday’s episode of NBA Today. “He has $13 million and now they can add him into a deal. They’re trying, they’re trying, they’re trying. But at some point, either they or somebody else is going to have to blink.”

The update comes after Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Golden State is “serious” about trading for Kevin Durant in part because “efforts to acquire Jimmy Butler stalled rival execs believe the Suns are strongly considering Durant deals before the deadline.”

Golden State getting Durant back would certainly shift the landscape of the Western Conference and be a reunion of sorts after the future Hall of Famer helped lead the team to three straight NBA Finals and two titles from 2016-19. He was the NBA Finals MVP in 2017 and 2018, securing his spot in franchise lore even in a short amount of time.

If he returned to the Warriors and helped lead them out of the inconsistency that has them in a tie for 10th place in the West, it would only add to his status within the franchise.

It is notable that Golden State has been connected to stars such as Durant and Butler. The front office could have looked at a team that is fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament and decided it wasn’t worth mortgaging future assets for what might be a lost season anyway.

However, Stephen Curry turns 37 years old in March. This might be one of the final times the Warriors can make a deep playoff run with the star guard leading the way, and getting him and Draymond Green another impact player to work alongside would go a long way toward making that a reality.

Giving up Schröder in a trade would certainly be an acceptable loss.

After all, he is shooting just 37.5 percent from the field and 32.2 percent from deep in 24 games since joining the Warriors and hasn’t raised the ceiling nearly as much as the front office likely hoped.

Perhaps the next trade will.