The Phoenix Suns return home Thursday following a career performance from Collin Gillespie to face a Golden State Warriors team in a state of flux since the loss of All-Star Jimmy Butler.
How much flux will be determined by the NBA trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET Thursday.
The Warriors have the best offer on the table for Milwaukee two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to ESPN, while franchise stalwart Draymond Green has acknowledged that he could be dealt as Golden State looks to find a way through Butler’s season-ending knee injury.
“This is probably the first time I would say, since I have been here, that his name has been mentioned in trade talks,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said of Green, a part of four championship teams. “It’s different, but it’s also part of the league.”
Green had six points and seven rebounds in what might have been his last home game with Golden State, a 113-94 loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday. The Warriors also played without Stephen Curry, who has missed two of the last four games with right knee soreness.
Golden State has lost two in a row and five of seven, and Kerr alluded to the possibility of trade rumors affecting the team’s performance.
“When you coach a team, you can almost predict when things are going to go well and when they are going to go poorly,” Kerr said. “Just overall health, mood, vibe. This was not a good vibe for us.
“It doesn’t matter what the trade chatter is. It’s everyone’s job to bring the energy, bring the fight. It’s about competing for 48 (minutes) for 82 games. That’s the most disappointing thing.”
The Warriors have won two of three against the Suns this season, but Kerr said lineup changes will be made for their final meeting. Golden State started its 23rd different combination Tuesday when the team was outscored 55-39 in the second half.
“The group to start the game, and the second half, couldn’t score,” Kerr said. “With Steph out, Jimmy out, we’re going to have to sort through some of these combinations and rotations.”
Jonathan Kuminga (knee) missed his fifth game Tuesday, and his future with the team is uncertain.
Gillespie had a career-high 30 points and tied a career high with eight 3-pointers while handing out 10 assists as the Suns overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the host Portland Trail Blazers 130-125 on Tuesday.
Phoenix has won four of five and seven of 10. The Suns would move a season-high 12 games over .500 with a win over the Warriors in the first of a four-game homestand.
“They were in drop coverage, so we were just taking what they were giving us,” Gillespie said on NBC. “Simple screens and come off it and let it fly. We have a lot of guys who can really shoot the ball.”
Phoenix made 20 of 41 3-pointers against the Blazers, with Gillespie going 8 of 14 and Grayson Allen going 6 of 11 from distance. The Suns have made 20, 19 and a season-high 23 3-pointers in their last three games without Devin Booker (ankle).
Booker is not expected to play Thursday, and Jalen Green (hip, hamstring) is questionable.
“He’s an unselfish superstar in this league,” Gillespie said of Booker, “and we miss him. But when he is out, guys have to step up. I’m always going to look for my shot. I feel like if I get going, it’ll get everybody else shots.”
–Field Level Media
