The Warriors close to a trade last season ignited new buzz around the deadline

After a 12-3 start to the 2024-25 season, Golden State Warriors they fought. As it is NBA trade deadline approaches, the Warriors could be the team looking to strike a deal in hopes of rebooting the team.

Injuries certainly played a role in the Warriors’ struggles, with Jonathan Kuminga is currently sidelined with an ankle injury. If the Warriors try to make a deal before the NBA trade deadline, they will reportedly seek it get help in courtaccording to NBA insider Marc Stein.

Stein reports that the Warriors are caught between continuing to evaluate the team they currently have and deciding to pursue a trade before the deadline. Names believed to be available in terms of frontcourt help include Kelly Olynyk, Jonas Valanciunas, Robert Williams III and Nikola Vucevic.

In fact, Olynyk is the player the Warriors almost traded last season, before The Utah Jazz eventually traded Olynyk to the Toronto Raptors. Olynyk is a name that has come up again this season for the Warriors, back in November when De’Anthony Melton went down with a season-ending injuryaccording to ClutchPoints NBA Insider Brett Siegel.

Kelly Olynyk as a trade target for the Warriors

Olynyk started this season sidelined with a back injury, but has since returned to action. He has been quite productive for the Raptors this season and could help a lot of contending teams if he is indeed available on the market.

He’s reportedly a name the Warriors have continued to pursue after nearly acquiring him at last season’s trade deadline.

Olynyk has appeared in 19 games for the Raptors this season, averaging only about 15 minutes per game. He averaged 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 48.8 percent from the field, 45.2 percent from the three-point line and 78.8 percent from the free throw line.

One of the main reasons Olynyk is an attractive trade target for teams looking for frontcourt help is his ability to space the floor with his three-point shooting. His 45.2 percent from three-point range this season is a career high. He holds a career average of 37 percent from downtown.

In addition to Olynik, c The Warriors have recently been mentioned as a team monitoring Nikola Vucevic’s availability.

The Warriors are currently 21-20 and in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. They have won two games in a row, and are 5-5 in their last ten games.

David Iapkowitz is a basketball reporter for ClutchPoints, covering men’s and women’s NBA, WNBA and NCAA basketball news. The Los Angeles native has op-eds with Basketball Insiders, SB Nation and The Next Hoops.